Hetalia: The Lion King
by SweetMaple'sShade
Summary: Prince Alfred is the son of King Arthur, nephew of Ivan Braginski, and best friend of Maddie Williams. After being nearly killed by a trio of criminals and witnessing the death of his father, Alfred is framed for murder and is forced to flee the kingdom. But when he meets a quirky pair of friends, will he stay with them to live worry-free or return to take back his lost kingdom?
1. The Newborn Prince

Chapter 1: The Newborn Prince

Yao Wang, King Arthur's trusted advisor, was stuck in traffic.

_Perfect, _he thought, honking at the car in front of him. The driver gave him a flip of the bird through his rearview mirror, and Yao scowled. _And on the day of the presentation of Prince Alfred! I can't miss it!_

Meanwhile people from all over the Pride Lands were gathering beneath the main balcony of the palace, waiting for the young prince to finally be introduced to the world. The Pride Lands were a very diverse country, teeming with people most likely of every race in the world. The King himself was of British decent, and his Queen was originally from the small island country of Seychelles.

After the accident on the freeway had finally been cleared, Yao made it to the palace without any further problems. He scrambled out of the car, adjusting his tie and ponytail, before racing up the steps to the main floor.

Yao weaved his way expertly through the servants rushing about back and forth, preparing for the ceremonial dinner that was to be held after the presentation. Jogging up the marble steps to the King and Queen's bedroom, Yao let out a frustrated huff of air. _That traffic had better not cost me my job!_

Opening the door slowly, Yao stepped into the room. Arthur stood by his wife, who was holding a small bundle, sitting in a rocking chair. Michelle was focused on the child in her arms, but Arthur looked up at the sound of footsteps.

Yao smiled and bowed; after a few minutes of silence, Arthur nodded approvingly, his green eyes crinkling. The door opened again, and in sauntered a man with long, silky blond hair, short beard hair along the line of his jaw, and carrying a staff. From the staff dangled a unique assortment of fruits used for the traditional marking ceremony.

Francis, a man too attractive to be a priest, let out a French laugh of "ohonhonhon" as he approached the King. Arthur opened his arms, the two men embraced in a brotherly hug.

Michelle stood, and the four of them walked out onto the balcony. Francis took one of the dangling fruits from his staff and cracked it open. Taking a bit of the mushy red pulp with two fingers, Francis made a small red mark on the infant's forehead—the mark of Kings.

Michelle handed Alfred over to the priest, and Francis approached the railing of the balcony. Cameras flashed and the people roared as Prince Alfred was raised up high by Francis's strong arms. The child looked down at the people curiously, blinking a few times. He giggled once before Francis brought him back down, placing him back into his mother's arms.

Arthur scanned the line of people at the very front of the crowd and frowned a bit. His brother, Ivan, hadn't shown. Of course not.

But deciding to let the moment be a happy one, Arthur pushed the thought of his jealous brother out of his mind and smiled down at his newborn son. Alfred was giggling as his mother and Francis cooed down at him. Arthur sighed, seeing a kind of special light in Alfred's eyes. _My son…future King of the Pride Lands. _

**Author's Note:  
>Yes, I know this was short, but this is how I imagined the scene playing out with Hetalia characters as the cast of The Lion King. I promise next chapters will be a bit longer, though probably not by much. Please review, I'd love to hear what you think!<strong>

**All the best, Maple**


	2. The King's Brother

Chapter 2: Ivan Braginski

Ivan's scarred face twisted into a scowl as he watched the ceremony on live television. The little brat that had stolen _his_ throne was being worshipped and praised by _his _subjects. Ivan rolled his amethyst purple eyes and switched the television off. He'd had enough of this nonsense—they were worshipping a _baby _for crying out loud.

A knock on the door made him groan. "Ivan! Ivan Braginski! Open this door right now or I'll break it down!" Yao, that annoying nag Arthur kept around as an advisor, has come to lecture him. Ivan sluggishly arose from his bed and walked with dragging footsteps towards the bedroom door. "That's it!" Yao shrieked. "I'm coming in! HIIIIIIYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAA—WAAAA!" Yao came rocketing through the doorway as Ivan swung it open just in time. The larger man smirked as Yao collided face-first into the wall.

"Oh, look now, little Yao, you made dent in my wall." Ivan purred in a thick Russian accent as the Chinese man peeled himself from the wall.

"You'll be getting more than a dent when the King gets through with you!" Yao said in an unnecessarily loud yell of a voice. "He's on his way right now and he's _mad!" _

Ivan rolled his eyes as Yao began to ramble on about the beating Arthur was going to give his younger brother once he arrived, bored. Catching sight of a letter opener on his desk, a sly smile slipped onto his face.

"Blah blah blah—Ivan! What are you doing with that letter opener!? Why are you looking at me like that?! HELP!" Yao lunged for the door, but Ivan caught the collar of his jacket, dragging him back into the darkness of the room.

"Ivan," a British accent said menacingly; Ivan dropped the letter opener, frowning. _Perfect timing, Arthur. You always manage to ruin my fun. _"Drop him." Arthur commanded, flipping on the lights. Ivan released Yao's collar, sighing nonchalantly as the Chinese man fell to the floor with a loud _thump._

"Impeccable timing, Your Majesty." Yao mumbled as he picked himself up, rubbing his nose.

Ignoring the Asian advisor, Arthur kept his angered gaze on Ivan, his thick, caterpillar eyebrow twitching. "Michelle and I didn't see you at the presentation of Alfred." Arthur said coldly.

"Oh, that was today?" Ivan shrugged, jamming the letter opener into his desk with a loud _thwack! _"I feel simply awful!" The large Russian yawned, examining his fingernails. "It must have slipped my mind, da?"

"As slippery as your mind is, as the King's brother you should have been first in line!" Yao scolded. Ivan's long, gloved fingers found the letter opener again, and he gave the loud Chinese man a spine-chilling grin. Yao shrank back a few steps, hiding behind Arthur.

"I was first in line," Ivan said honestly, meeting Arthur's gaze earnestly. "Until the little brat was born." He finished with a scowl.

"That 'brat' is my son, and _your _future King." Arthur snapped.

Ivan laughed, putting a hand over his heart. "Oh, I shall practice my curtsey, then!" He said sarcastically as he pushed past the two other men.

"Don't turn your back on me, Ivan!" Arthur roared, following his brother out. "Get back here! I'm not finished with you!"

Ivan froze. His eyes narrowed and he whirled around, bending down to meet Arthur's eyes boldly. "Is that a challenge I hear, Arthur?" He asked in a quiet, dangerous tone. Arthur snorted.

"I'm not an idiot, Ivan. I've no interest in starting a fight I can't win." Arthur sized him up, taking a few steps back. "As far as brains go, I got the man's share, but when it comes to brute strength, I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool."

Ivan glared at the King for a few more seconds before scoffing and pushing his way back into his dark room, slamming the door after him. Arthur sighed. "What am I going to do with him?"

"Well, I think he'd make a very nice throw rug." Yao suggested helpfully as they walked.

"Yao!" Arthur smiled at the older man, chuckling at his joke.

"It's true! And just think, every time he gets dirty you can take him out and beat him!"

**Author's Note:  
>If you're wondering...no, I do not hate Russia. He's actually my all-time favorite anime character! I just thought the role of Scar would be perfect for him.<br>Sorry, this chapter is also a bit short. I promise they'll start getting longer soon!**

**All the best, Maple**


	3. A King's Duties

Chapter 3: A King's Duties

"DADDADDADDAD!" Alfred ran through the halls of the palace living quarters, rocketing towards his parent's bedroom. The scruffy-haired blond burst through the mahogany doors and jumped, sailing onto his parents' bed. He landed with a squeak of the springs and began hassling his father. "Dad! Dad! Wake up!"

"Your son is awake," Michelle murmured sleepily into Arthur's ear. Arthur grunted, shifting uncomfortably under Alfred's weight.

"Until sunrise, he's _your _son." The King muttered.

"Dad! Come on, Dad." Alfred let out a frustrated huff of air before climbing off the bed and taking a few steps back. He closed one eye, measuring the distance between himself and his sleeping father before getting a running start and ramming into Arthur's chest.

"OOF!" The King sat upright, holding his chest. He was fully awake now, thanks to Alfred's antics.

"Dad! You promised!" Alfred pointed an accusing finger at the King, frowning heavily. "You said you would show me the city today! Don't you keep your promises?"

"Alright, alright, Alfred. Just let me get dressed, and I'll be out in a moment." Alfred padded out of the room, satisfied, and Arthur glanced at the clock wearily. Five in the morning. He sighed. _Why did I make him that promise, again?_

A few minutes later, father and son were loaded into one of Arthur's many bulletproof cars and cruising slowly down the empty streets. Alfred listened intently while his father talked about all of a King's responsibilities.

"Look over there, Alfred." Arthur said, nodding at a homeless man sleeping on a park bench. "You see that man?"

"Yeah," Alfred replied, scrutinizing him. "What about him?"

"And look at that man, over there." Arthur nodded at a jogger passing by the homeless man, who dropped a few coins into the poor man's tin can as he went.

"What's all this got to do with anything, Dad?" Alfred asked impatiently.

"I'm getting there, Alfred. Be patient." Arthur scolded gently. "There is something that keeps balance in our world, Alfred, and that something is called the great Circle of Life."

"The Circle of Life," Alfred echoed, liking the way it rolled off his tongue. "What's that?"

"Without that homeless man, the jogger would be classified as the lowest in the social class. And without the jogger, the homeless man would not have anyone to look to for help. And without the both of them, well, you and I would not be a prince and king. Do you understand, Alfred?"

By now, Alfred wasn't really listening. He was staring off into the distance, at a torn-up alley leading to the worst part of the city.

"Alfred!" Arthur snapped suddenly. Alfred jumped out of his skin, frightened by his father's sharp tone.

"Y—yes, Dad?" He swallowed hard, and Arthur's voice immediately softened.

"I know what you're thinking, son. But please—if you have any respect for me at _all—_just please stay _away _from that part of the city. It's extremely dangerous!" Arthur explained gently.

"Oh." Alfred sighed, glancing back at the alley. "Okay."

"Good. Now—" Arthur was cut off by the sound of his cellphone ringing. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Yao. Alfred still seemed a bit distracted, so Arthur thought of a way to snap him out of his "adventurous" thoughts.

"Alfred, how would you like to prank Mr. Wang?" Arthur asked with a wiggle of his black caterpillar eyebrows. Alfred immediately grinned, snatching the phone from Arthur's outstretched hand.

"Hello?" Alfred answered, pinching his nostrils shut so his voice turned nasal. "Is this the toilet paper company? I'd like to complain about the special constipation rolls I received during your buy-one-get-one-free sale."

"What? Prince Alfred!? Where is your father!? I need to speak with him immediately!" Yao yelled in his usual loud accent.

"This isn't Alfred, this is…uh, Fred. Fred Chimichangas! I want to complain because my special constipation toilet paper falls apart and gets stuck to my—"

"ALFRED!" Yao screeched angrily.

Alfred and Arthur burst into uncontrollable laughter as Yao continued to shriek in Chinese on the other end of the line. Arthur regained his composure for long enough to pick up the phone and ask in a laughter-shaken voice, "Yes, Yao? What is it?"

"Your Majesty! Criminals from the South Side area are causing havoc at one of the local banks! They've taken hostages—you have to come as quick as you can!"

Arthur' s features tensed, and his green eyes darkened. "Can you take Alfred back home? Michelle will take him to school when it's time, but I need someone to pick him up now."

"I'll be there! Where are you?"

"Near the South Side Shopping Center." Arthur replied with a grunt as he jerked the car into a parking space. Alfred's eyes widened to plate size as Arthur hung up the phone.

"Aw, Dad, can't I come?" Alfred pleaded.

"No, son." Arthur said firmly. "These are hardened criminals we're dealing with. What do you think they'd do to you—the King's son—if you were to get caught?"

Alfred grumbled quietly to himself, hating that Arthur was right. Yao arrived a few minutes later and coaxed Alfred into his car as Arthur sped off towards the South Side Bank.

Noticing the young Prince's heavy frown, Yao cleared his throat and said, "You really fooled me with your prank call, Prince Alfred."

Alfred perked up. "Really?"

"Oh ya!" Yao nodded enthusiastically. "You got me good, Young Master!"

"Well, I am like, totally one of the best pranksters in the history of _forever." _Alfred grinned. His mind wandered back to the criminals Arthur had mentioned, and he muttered, "I never get to go anywhere with Dad."

"Oh Young Master, you wouldn't want to go chasing those mangy criminals around like your father!" Yao reassured him. "There are many good people in this city—but there are also very, _very _bad people too. Once you're older, you can chase those filthy, stupid, flea-bitten scumbags from dawn until dusk if you wish."

Alfred grinned. He could be a superhero and fight crime, just like the great King Arthur. And if he tried, then maybe he could be even _better!_

They arrived at the palace, and since there was still about two hours before Alfred would have to leave for school, the young prince decided to go up to his room and play some video games.

On the way to the living quarters, Alfred passed by the bar. He spotted his uncle Ivan sitting alone on one of the stools, chugging down a bottle of Russian vodka. Grinning, the young prince sauntered in and pulled up a seat next to the larger man.

"Hey, Uncle Ivan, guess what?" Alfred asked, beaming.

Irritated, Ivan muttered, "I despise guessing games."

"My dad just showed me the whole kingdom." Alfred said boastfully. "And you know what else?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "I'm gonna rule it _all!" _

"Forgive me for not leaping for joy—Uncle has bad back, you know." Ivan rumbled, taking another swig.

"What is that stuff, anyways?" Alfred asked, squinting at the bottle of vodka. "I've never seen water in that kind of bottle before."

A wicked thought slipped into Ivan's mind, and he smiled at his nephew. "It's a special kind of water," he said in his thick accent. "Would you like to try?"

"Sure!" Alfred took the bottle from his Uncle's outstretched arm and took a big drink—spitting it all out only a few moments after. "EW! Ick, what was that stuff? Aw, ew!" Alfred gagged, thrusting the bottle back at Ivan.

The prince's uncle chuckled, taking his bottle back and chugging down the rest. Alfred spat out the rest of the vodka and then looked back up at Ivan. "You know where my dad went?" He asked, sounding like he was gloating.

"Nyet." _I don't care to know, either. _Ivan thought bitterly.

"He went to go beat up some bad guys that are keeping people hostage at the bank!" Alfred said proudly. "Isn't that cool? My dad's a hero!"

"Hip-hip-hurray." Ivan said sarcastically and snapped at the bartender to bring him another bottle.

"Hey, Uncle Ivan, what's the 'South Side' that everyone keeps telling me to stay away from?" Alfred asked curiously, knowing his uncle would tell him.

Ivan grinned. "Oh? That's were all the fun happens, Alfred. Hasn't your father taken you yet?"

"No," Alfred sighed. "He said I can't go there. He says there's a bunch of criminals over there."

"Because they have so much fun it should be illegal!" Ivan fake gasped. "You mean Arthur really hasn't taken you? Well then, I suppose it's for the best." Putting a hand on Alfred's shoulder, Ivan said in a coo, "Promise me you'll stay away from the South Side, Alfred. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your father."

A sly grin crossed Alfred's features. "Don't worry," he said, patting Ivan's hand. "It's our little secret, okay?"

"There's a good boy!" Ivan smiled, opening another bottle of vodka. "Now you run along and have fun, da?"

"Yeah," Alfred slid off the barstool and sauntered out of the bar. "Sure thing, Uncle Ivan." He said with a mischievous grin.

**Author's Note: **

**Wow you guys, the third chapter's done already! Now am I quick or what?  
>Just kidding-I had it done already. I just needed to post it.<strong>

**Responses to reviews:****  
>Shallowshallow55: Well, the thing is, I'm only using the <strong>**_plot _****of the Lion King. This story is the modern, Hetalia-human version of the movie. And thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me!**

**Thanks to all of you who have given this story a chance! **

**All the best, Maple**


	4. The South Side

Chapter 4: The South Side

Alfred sauntered into the gates of his prestigious private school with a smug grin on his face as students, parents, and staff members bowed, murmuring things like, "Good morning, Prince Alfred," and "Welcome, Your Highness."

The young prince strolled into his seventh-grade homeroom and walked over to a little girl with long blond pigtails, glasses, and violet eyes. "Hey Maddie," Alfred grinned as he sat down.

Maddie Williams looked up and adjusted her glasses, smiling shyly. "Hi Alfred."

"Listen, I just heard about this great place—we can leave at lunch, I'll have a driver come pick us up!" Alfred whispered, and Maddie's eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

"Alfred! We can't ditch school!" She hissed, looking around to make sure no one had heard. "Our parents will kill us if we just leave!"

"And we can blame the school for not keeping a closer eye on us naughty kids." Alfred finished for her. "It'll be great, Maddie—but only if you come with me. It'll be no fun if I'm by myself…"

Maddie let out a defeated sigh and opened her English textbook. "Fine," she muttered. "I'll go with you."

"Great!" Alfred grinned. "You're the best, Maddie!"

The prince turned around and started rifling through his backpack while Maddie stuck her nose into the book and blushed. _Why do I let him talk me into these things? It's like I can't say no to him…_

The bell for lunch rang four periods after, and just like he had said, Alfred had a car waiting for them.

"Mr. Fernandez! Can you take us to the South Side Shopping Center?" Alfred asked as he and Maddie settled into the back seat. Antonio—their Spanish driver—gasped.

_"__Dios mio_, no, Prince Alfred! It is _muy peligroso_ over at the South Side! No place for kiddoes like you!" Antonio shook his head. "Your papa will have my head if I take you!"

"But we just wanna try out that new Spanish restaurant a few blocks down…" Alfred said, pulling a sad face. "And I was gonna invite you to eat with us, since we can't go without an adult…"

Tempted by the promise of food, Antonio sighed in defeat. "Alright, _chicos. _I'll take you to the restaurant. But you have to promise to—"

"I hear they also have churros for desert," Alfred said in a sing-song tone.

Antonio gulped, and stomped down on the accelerator.

"Poor Mr. Fernandez!" Maddie whispered to Alfred. "You know how much he loves Spanish food—especially churros!"

"Yeah, so?" Alfred raised an eyebrow. "That's why we're taking him to a Spanish restaurant."

"Ohhh," Maddie nodded, understanding. "I see."

After a ten minute drive, Antonio parked in front of the restaurant—which was dangerously close to the South Side of the city. The three strolled into the eatery and were seated at a table near the restrooms. Alfred winked at Maddie before saying loudly, "Mr. Fernandez, I have to go use the restroom. I'll be back in a little bit, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Antonio murmured as he flipped through the menu. By now he wasn't really listening; he was much more interested in all of the delicious options of food the restaurant offered.

"Um, I need to go too." Maddie said as Alfred gestured for her to follow him to the back.

"Yeah, sure. Okay. Waitress! Can you bring me a tomato, please?"

Alfred and Maddie slipped out through the back door, and when Antonio didn't follow, Maddie sighed in relief. "He didn't see us," she said quietly, fixing her blue and red plaid uniform skirt.

"Yeah. Now all we have to do is walk to the South Side before he realizes we've been gone for too long." Alfred took Maddie's hand and tugged her towards an alley leading back to the sidewalk. "Come on!"

Maddie blushed, staring at their entwined fingers. _We're going to get into so much trouble…yet that doesn't really bother me as long as we're together._

The two twelve-year-olds walked along the sidewalk together, Alfred smirking and Maddie blushing as people bowed in the presence of the prince. Alfred saw Maddie's discomfort and whispered in her ear, making her shudder. "Just ignore them and keep walking; we're almost there."

"Where are we even going, Alfred?" Maddie tugged at her tie. "It had better not be anyplace dumb." She said in a warning tone.

"Don't worry, its' really cool, I promise." Alfred reassured her. "We're going to the South Side!"

Maddie gasped. "The South Side!? But—that's where all the criminals are! We'll get murdered, Alfred! Are you insane!?"

"Of course not!" Alfred looked offended. "My Uncle Ivan said it's where all the fun happens! He wouldn't lie to me!"

"Well…I guess." Maddie shrugged just as they arrived at the torn-up alley. She shivered at the cold breeze that blew her hair back as they watched the dark passage warily. "Are you sure about this, Alfred? What if your uncle was just being sarcastic?"

"Trust me, he was surprised to hear that my dad hasn't brought me here yet." Alfred marched into the alley confidently. "Come on, Maddie! Or are you _scared?"_ He teased.

"Kind of," Maddie admitted timidly as she took his hand, walking through the dark, damp, smelly passage with him.

"Don't worry, I gotcha." Alfred said reassuringly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Maddie blushed and looked up at the sky; even the weather seemed dreary on this side of the city.

"Hey, look!" Alfred pointed at an abandoned building with a sign that read, "FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION SOLD HERE". "You think there still might be some guns in there?" He asked as he dragged Maddie towards the shop.

"Um, Alfred, I don't think—"

"Come on, we'll be fine! It's just an empty shop." Alfred confidently yanked the door open and shoved Maddie inside, following closely behind her.

Maddie glanced warily around the empty shop and let out a sigh of relief when no one jumped out and stabbed them to death. Alfred looked around at the empty shelves and dirty aisles before scoffing and walking towards the back. "There's nothing out here; you think there's some stuff in the back?"

"Maybe," Maddie replied, her nerves being replaced by curiosity. "You wanna go see?"

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Alfred grinned evilly. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

"WRONG!" An Asian accent screeched, and both kids jumped so high they almost hit the ceiling. Yao had materialized out of positively _nowhere, _looking beyond mad. "The only checking out you two will do will be to check out of here!"

"Mr. Wang!? How did you find us!?" Alfred demanded. "Did you follow Mr. Fernandez!?"

"No!" Yao snapped back. "I stopped by at that new Spanish restaurant to have lunch, when I saw Antonio there stuffing his face with tomatoes! I asked him what he was doing here, and then the idiot started going off about how he had lost the Prince and Secretary Williams' daughter!"

Maddie blushed, looking down, but Alfred scowled at Yao, looking him straight in the eye. "It wasn't his fault, Mr. Wang. We—no, actually, _I _convinced Maddie into coming with me and we snuck off."

Yao sighed. "Prince Alfred, what will your father think? You can't expect me to keep quiet about this—"

"Please, Mr. Wang! If you tell him, he'll kill me!" Alfred pleaded. "Come on, cut me some slack! I was just curious about this place because my—"

"You have money?" A childish voice said in a European accent. The thee turned and gawked at a skinny, brown-haired boy sitting on the counter, eyeing them with cold black eyes. Alfred patted his pockets and shook his head; Yao squinted at the boy. He looked to be about fifteen, and was dressed in what looked like a dirty military uniform.

"You have money?" The boy repeated, his eyebrows knitting in anger.

"No, I'm sorry, we were just leaving." Yao grabbed the kids' hands and dragged them towards the door, only to crash into something tall and hard.

"Trespassers, Raivis?" A quiet, dangerous Lithuanian accent growled. Two pairs of crimson eyes framed by chin-length dark hair glared down at the three intruders from a sickly pale face.

"They have no money." Raivis threw one leg over the other, straightening his back. "They broke in. You know what we do to intruders, don't you, Toris?"

_"__Taip," _Toris nodded, and his hand shot out to grab Yao by the throat. "Let's do away with the oldest one first."

"Perhaps we can keep the girl for later," Raivis smirked.

"What!?" Alfred snapped, turning to face the dark-haired boy. "What are you, twelve? That's like, just _so_ _wrong!" _

"My age is of no concern of yours!" Raivis snapped. "Eduard, you take care of that one while Toris finishes off the Asian!"

A cold hand gripped the back of Alfred's jacket and lifted him off the ground. "HEY!" The prince roared, twisting around to see his captor. Eduard was a pale, stark-white haired man—about the same age as Toris—wearing cracked glasses over a pair of icy blue eyes. His chin was disturbed by a short knife scar, and there was a gleam of irrationality in his ice-colored orbs.

Yao fought Toris viciously, while Raivis grabbed Maddie, preventing her from escaping. Maddie shrieked, tugging out of his grasp, and ran to help Alfred. Eduard easily backhanded her so hard that she flew backwards, right into Toris. He jerked to the side, surprised, and his grip on Yao's neck loosened. Yao pulled a few of his kung fu moves on the soldier-like Lithuanian, and soon Toris was on his back, groaning. Raivis shrieked something in Latvian before saying, "Forget the boy, Eduard! Kill the man, first!"

Eduard dropped Alfred and went at Yao. The Chinese man countered his blows with great effort, though his age and uncomfortable work clothes were holding him back. Toris was picking himself up off the ground, and Raivis rounded on the younger kids. Alfred pushed Maddie behind him, trying to remember all of the moves he had learned from Mr. Wang's kung fu lessons. Maddie whimpered pitifully, and guilt settled itself in Alfred's stomach. _I shouldn't have brought her here…_ he thought guiltily. _This is all my fault!_

Raivis swung, hard, catching the prince in the jaw. Alfred was surprised by the pain, as he'd never been hit before. _Damn! That hurt! Is this what all those heroes in the movies have to go through on a daily basis!? _

Alfred regained his composure and winced as the tender spot began to throb. Raivis grinned, revealing a gap where his left canine should have been. _So he's fought before, _Alfred realized. _Of course. These guys are criminals! _

Raivis swung again, but this time Alfred was ready. He dropped and with a sweep of his legs, knocked Raivis to the ground as well. The blue-eyed boy cried out in frustration and picked himself up, but Alfred was fast. Three lightning-quick kicks to the face, and the Latvian was out cold.

Maddie screamed; Yao was so busy pummeling Eduard that he didn't notice Toris sneaking up behind him with a knife.

"NOOO!" Alfred lunged at Toris, but the Lithuanian man rammed a booted foot into his stomach, sending the prince flying backwards. Yao looked up for a split second, giving Eduard enough time to hit him hard in the stomach. Toris took the opportunity and stuck the knife into Yao's shoulder. Maddie shrieked as Raivis grabbed her arm, but Yao was out like a light and Alfred was still dazed, on the floor.

_This is it. _Maddie thought, tears streaming down her face as Toris and Eduard approached Alfred's weak form. The prince was trying to gather his strength and get up, but Toris had hit him hard. Maddie felt her chest throb, and she began to bawl. _This is how we're going to die? At the hands of criminals like these?_

The last shreds of hope slipped from her grasp as Toris grabbed Alfred by the hair and lifted him up, holding him against his bent knee. Eduard stood in front of them, rolling up his sleeves. Maddie screamed, but Raivis put a hand over her mouth. Eduard reeled back his fist in preparation to knock Alfred senseless, but the sound of a thundering gunshot made him stop short.

**Author's Note:  
>Did any of you guess it? 2p! Baltics as the hyenas! Isn't it just fitting? Sorry if they're not how you imagined, or if you're disappointed in my choice for Ivan's minions, but I really liked writing this chapter. I love the Baltics, but as much as I do I still find their 2p!s to be a little more interesting.<br>Oh my StarClan, 7 followers and 2 favorites? Yay! It might not sound like a lot to you other popular authors, but this is awesome to me! Keep 'em coming!**

**Review Answers:  
>frenchfriesandtoast: Thanks! I really thought China was fitting for the part of Zazu, and when I combined their characters here, I just totally fell in love with him!<br>anonymous: Thanks for giving this story a chance! It's my first Hetalia fic, and so far I'm having a really fun time writing it. I appreciate you taking the time to review. Also, did you ever think the hyenas would be played by the Nervous Trembling Trio's 2p!s? I had a lot of fun with this chapter...**

**Thank you all! **

**All the best, Maple**


	5. The King's Promise

Chapter 5: The King's Promise

"RELEASE MY SON THIS INSTANT YOU BLOODY WANKER!" King Arthur's thunderous voice boomed as he held a gun to a shocked Toris' head. Toris released the prince, and Alfred scrambled towards Maddie and Raivis. Raivis shoved her forward and darted back into the dark back room. Eduard tried to follow, but Arthur rammed the butt of his gun into the back of the blonde's head mercilessly. Toris took the King's distraction as an opportunity to run, but Arthur snarled and shot him cruelly in the behind. He missed, and the bullet only grazed him; nevertheless, Toris collapsed into a heap, groaning as he gripped his injured hindquarters.

"If you ever come near my son again I'll have my servants bring out the old guillotines from the basement, and I'll behead you ALL _myself!" _Arthur snarled. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?"

Eduard and Toris were each talking in their first language, blubbering and pleading pitifully. Arthur growled and clicked something into place on his gun. "I said…DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

"Yes…" Toris managed, wincing at the pain in his bottom half. Eduard didn't speak, only nodded his head vigorously.

"Good." Arthur barked, and fired a shot into the ceiling. "NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

Toris and Eduard were gone before Alfred could even blink. Yao nodded approvingly at Arthur, almost smiling, but winced when Arthur glared. "You deliberately disobeyed me!" The king growled at his son.

"Dad, I—" Alfred began, but Arthur cut him off.

"Let's go home!" Arthur stormed out of the shop, and the other three followed quietly. Arthur's black bullet-proof-windowed car was parked in front of the shop, and Yao's was sitting on the other side of the street.

"I thought you were very brave," Maddie whispered to Alfred, and he found himself feeling just a tiny bit better when she smiled at him.

"Yao, take Maddie home." Arthur ordered. Looking down at Alfred, he growled, "I have to teach my _son _a lesson."

"Yes, Sire." Yao nodded. Giving Alfred a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, he murmured, "Alfred…good luck." Nodding once, Yao took Maddie by the hand and led her away.

Alfred watched them go anxiously, wincing when Arthur said in a low tone, _"Alfred." _

The young prince walked slowly over to his father. He looked down at his feet, feeling guilt reside in his stomach like a two ton weight when he stepped into the King's large, muddy footprint. "Yeah?" He asked softly, stopping a few feet behind Arthur.

"Get in the car." Arthur ordered. With his head hanging low, Alfred opened the passenger's side door and slumped into his seat. A few minutes later Arthur opened the driver's side door and sat down, jamming the keys into the ignition and starting the car.

The ride home was completely silent. Alfred could feel the anger and disappointment practically radiating from the King like a cold, frightening aura.

Arthur stopped the car in the circular driveway in front of the palace and stepped out of the car. With a trembling hand Alfred unbuckled himself and followed Arthur towards the palace doors. As one of the servants took the car back to the parking garage beneath the palace, Arthur pushed past the guards at the doors and stopped in the lobby, waiting for Alfred.

The prince stepped through the huge doors and gulped as Arthur turned around and glared at him. "Alfred, I am very disappointed in you."

"I know," Alfred sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"You ditched school, tricked Antonio, and almost got yourself killed! And what's worse, you put Madeline in danger!" Arthur continued, and Alfred began to feel his throat tighten and his eyes sting.

"Dad, I—I just wanted to prove to you that I could be brave too!" Alfred said, fighting back the tears. At the sound of his son's guilty tone and the wet sheen of his blue eyes, Arthur's voice became gentle.

"Alfred, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." Arthur said, crouching down to look his son in the eye. "But listen, Alfred; today, I was very afraid."

"You _were?" _Alfred's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "But you totally kicked those bad guys' asses!"

"You stow that potty talk right now!" Arthur scolded, but then blushed and cleared his throat. "Ahem, yes, Alfred, I was very afraid. Afraid I might lose you."

"Whoa." The prince stared at Arthur with round blue eyes, completely in shock. "So I guess even kings like you get scared, huh?" Arthur nodded. Alfred grinned, and whispered, "But you know what?"

"What?" Arthur leaned in, listening closely.

"I think those criminals were even scared-er!" Alfred laughed.

Arthur chuckled. "That's right. Because nobody messes with your dad! Come here, you!" Arthur tackled his son and gave him a playful noogie. Alfred wiggled out of his grasp and jumped onto the king's back, laughing as Arthur ran up the stairs, carrying the prince with loud, huffing breaths.

"Hey Dad?" Alfred asked after jumping off his panting father's back.

"Yes, Alfred?" Arthur puffed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"We're cool…right?"

Arthur chuckled. "Right."

"And…we'll always be together, right?" Alfred asked hopefully, and Arthur's smile faltered a bit. He wandered over to the window, motioning for Alfred to join him.

"Alfred, look up at the stars." The king gave Alfred an earnest glance before looking back up at the star dappled sky. "All the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us. I will join them eventually, Alfred, but even when my body is physically gone," he pointed at Alfred's chest and said softly, "I will still be with you. In your heart."

Alfred didn't reply. Instead he looked out at the stars and sighed in content. _Dad will always be with me. I'll always have him by my side, and in my heart, too. _

**Author's Note:  
>Hey guys, another chapter done! Yay! Sorry I couldn't post earlier, I had a lot of schoolwork I needed to finish. <strong>**But anyways, here it is. A touching moment between father and son. And sorry the chapters have been so short, I just can't find a way to make these scenes longer without babbling and getting off track.  
><strong>**  
>Review Responses: <strong>

**hobocat1234: Thank you so much! And poor Iggy. Ivan, you bastard! Haha, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.**

**sherlocked-with-no-key: Aw, thanks! :D I appreciate the praise!**

**Guest: I liked the idea of nyo!Canada as Alfred's female co. star too. And I guess Mattie Williams could be Maddie's father, though he obviously won't have a major role in the story. **

**frenchfrieswithtoast: Tee-hee! Did you guess right? IGGY! :D (cue my fangirling) **

**Thank you for the reviews! I hope you're all liking it so far. **

**All the best, Maple**


	6. Be Prepared

"That damn Brit," Toris growled, holding a broken mirror to his backside as he examined the wound in the larger, filthy bathroom mirror of his apartment. "I won't be able to sit for at least a month."

Eduard, who was sitting on the tiled floor a few feet away, burst into hysterics. Angered, Toris hurled the cracked mirror at him and snapped, "Shut up!" The mirror hit the edge of the bathtub and shattered completely. Eduard only laughed harder. "Stop! It's not funny!" Toris lunged at Eduard, and the two began to roll around on the cold, moldy tiled floor.

"Would you two stop that?" Raivis snapped, taking a seat on the counter. "Look at us." He growled, examining the tiny, dirty bathroom. "It's no wonder we're dangling at the bottom of the social pyramid."

"The stupid brat's father just had to swoop in and save him." Toris scoffed. "I hate those aristocrats. It's their fault the South Side is the way it is now."

"They're so stuffy," Raivis agreed.

"And hairy," Toris went on, referring to the King's massive eyebrows.

"And they _smell _even worse than their cooking." Raivis continued. The two men met eyes, grinned, and said in unison, "And they're just so _bloody British!" _

"Oh?" A cold, deep voice crooned from the window. Ivan sat on the windowsill, pouting as he listened in on their conversation. "Surely we aristocrats are not all _that _bad…"

"Oh, Ivan, it's only you." Raivis laughed nervously. "We thought it might be someone important."

"Like Arthur," Toris said in his usual monotone.

"Oooh, I just hear his name and I shudder!" Raivis shuddered. "Now that's power. Say it again, Toris. Say it!"

"Arthur," Toris repeated, and true to his word, Raivis shuddered while Eduard broke into hysterics for no apparent reason.

Ivan rolled his eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots." He sighed.

"But not you, Ivan! I mean, you're one of us." Raivis said cheerfully. "You're our comrade!"

"Charmed," Ivan said sarcastically, examining his gloved hands.

"So…did you bring us anything to eat?" Raivis asked hopefully. Toris and Eduard looked up at him pleadingly, and Ivan sighed, taking a bag of Chinese take-out from the windowsill.

"I don't think you really deserve this. I practically gift-wrapped those kids for you, and you couldn't even dispose of _them."_ He tossed the bag on the floor, and the three criminals were on them before he could even blink.

"Well, they weren't exactly _alone, _Ivan." Raivis said through a mouthful of chow mein.

"Yes, what did you expect us to do? Kill Arthur?" Toris snorted.

Ivan's purple eyes glimmered, and a slow, sly smile played on his lips. "Precisely," the large Russian purred.

Three pairs of eyes stared at him in confusion. Ivan stepped into the dim light of the bathroom and pulled a large black gun from his coat. "I think it's time my brother's rule came to an end." Ivan said, examining his gun. "And I want you three to help me make my dream come true."

"Oh yes?" Raivis sneered. "Why should we help you?"

"I'll fix up the South Side for you, _comrades." _Ivan crooned. "You won't need me to bring you food anymore. I'll make sure you have more money than you can spend in a lifetime—if you help me, that is."

"I'm in!" Raivis announced. "No King! Freedom!" Toris and Eduard cheered in their native languages, and Ivan rolled his eyes.

"Idiots! There _will _be a King!" Ivan snarled.

"But you said—"

_"__I _will be king!" Ivan roared. "Come with me, comrades, and you'll never go hungry again!"

"Long live the King!" The trio sang. "Long live the King!"

Ivan smiled. Now all he needed was some explosives, heavy traffic, and little Prince Alfred's undying trust.

**Author's Note:  
>Oh, what's this? Two chapters in one day? Yes, because they're all so unacceptably short that I feel obligated to post two instead of one per day. Well, here you are! Keep the reviews coming too!<strong>

**All the best, Maple**


	7. To Die For

Alfred moaned in his sleep as a large, calloused hand shook his shoulder, disturbing his shallow slumber. "Five more minutes, Dad..." He mumbled sleepily. Ivan rolled his eyes and whipped the covers off of the young prince, who jumped out of shock at the sudden breeze.

"Ack! Uncle Ivan, what the hell? What are you doing here so early?!" Alfred shrieked, yanking the covers back over himself. "It's the weekend!"

"Now now, Prince Alfred." Ivan chided. "Your father wouldn't like to hear his son using such language, would he?"

Alfred blushed. "Well, no. Sorry. But why are you here so early? And on a Saturday?"

"I've come to take you out for the day!" Ivan clapped his hands, giggling. "You know, as an uncle-nephew bonding sort of...thing." He smiled, filled to the brim with anticipation at the 'surprise' that awaited them at the end of the day. "We have to get an early start if we're going to get there in time."

"Get where in time?" Alfred asked, curious.

"Hurry up and you'll find out soon enough." Ivan promised, ruffling his hair. "Now be a good lad and get dressed. We wouldn't want to keep Arthur waiting, would we?"

"My dad's waiting for us?" Alfred perked up, grinning. "Cool. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

Ivan strolled out of the prince's luxurious bedroom and waited out in the hall, eyeing his scar in the his reflection on the window. His brutal adopted father had given him the scar when his mother hadn't been looking. To others it was a horrible mutation-to him it was a reminder of what it was to be weak.

He had been born to a poor family in Moscow. His mother was a beautiful Russian woman, and his father had died when he was an infant, too young to remember his face. Ivan had always been larger than the other children at school, for which he was feared. But there were five exceptions.

Toris had been the first to approach him. The dark-haired Lithuanian was also feared across the schoolyard for his frightening crimson eyes and soldier-like disposition. Hello, he had said, holding out a hand. I am Toris. I would like to be friends, Ivan.

The way Toris had called him by name was what really broke through Ivan's tough shell. He had immediately agreed, of course, and soon after they met Eduard. Eduard was relentlessly bullied by the other children for his glasses and his awkward nature, but Toris and Ivan had decided he would make nice, quiet company.

Raivis was a new student in grade seven. Ivan, Toris, and Eduard welcomed him warmly into the group, pitying the small, nervous, trembling Latvian. He seemed to take an especially string liking to Eduard, who had developed a twitching disorder and was now targeted more than ever.

Next came two of the girls in other grades. Katyusha in eighth grade and Natalya in sixth. Katyusha was a fun, goofy girl with a shockingly large bust for which she was teased viciously. Natalya, however , was drawn to Ivan in a romantic, almost obsessive way, following him everywhere he went, clinging to him like a leech. Unfortunately for her, though, Ivan's love would never grow from the brotherly affection he already held for the Belarusian.

Life was good for Ivan's little gang until he hit the ninth grade. The well-known King of the Pride Lands was coming to Moscow on business, and it was common knowledge that he had recently suffered the loss of his wife. Well, he had been strolling through one of the poorer neighborhoods, shoving his superiority into the commoners' faces.

Ivan and his group were kicking a ball around in his front yard while his mother folded the laundry. The King and a squad of royal guards were walking down the street, ignoring the bows if the commoners as they passed. The boys had scoffed while Katyusha and Natalya whispered anxiously to each other.

Suddenly the King stopped, his gaze stopping on Ivan's mother. Ivan's skin prickled, and in response to the king's shamelessness he moved to stand next to his mother. She looked up at him with curious violet eyes before smiling and patting his leg. She took his favorite white scarf from the laundry pile and handed it to him. Ivan's guard went down for a split second as he crouched down to take the scarf and sling it around his neck.

"Hello," a smooth British accent purred. The King was standing before them, holding out a hand to Ivan's mother. "Now what might your name be, Miss?"

Ivan's lip curled in disgust at the memory. One week later, the King had succeeded in seducing Ivan's mother and he was ripped away from his friends, shipped off to the Pride Lands to become the new Prince.

He met Arthur, the King's legitimate son, a few days before the wedding. He seemed like a polite, proper boy over all, but he was just so stiff-and not even like Toris. Arthur seemed just so stuffy, and even a bit superficial. He was also older, which meant that he would be taking the throne when their parents died.

Ivan went through school alone and bullied indirectly by the other students. He was called a gorilla, an ape, even a grizzly bear because of his large, robust frame. Oh, and let's not forget the "fat, stupid drunk" and "commie bastard". Arthur hardly paid him any attention, being immersed in his studies, and his mother hardly got to see him, due to the king's constant lusting after her like a moth to flame.

Of course she still cared, and tried to spend as much time with her son as possible, but Ivan had begun to grow cold towards her. She had chosen herself over their poor but happy life back in Russia, and as much as he knew how petty it was, he despised her for it.

He missed Toris, Raivis, Eduard, Katyusha, and even Natalya. The palace was cold, dark and lonely compared to his small, rickety old house back in the outskirts of Moscow. He missed the snow and cold; the Pride Lands were hot and humid every single day. In short, Ivan was miserable.

One day, just before his senior graduation, Arthur had approached him and pleasantly invited the younger prince to accompany him to a war meeting. Ivan declined, but after a bit more persuading, he agreed.

The King, Prince, and Parliament were discussing problems with illegal immigrants sneaking across the border. The King had mentioned something about an especially large number of people coming from Russia; Ivan had really started toe listen then.

One of the members of Parliament opened a manilla colored folder, displaying three photos of three different men, along with their paperwork. Ivan had nearly had a heart attack. Toris, Raivis, and Eduard.

They were being held in police custody after getting caught trying to sneak into the Pride Lands without the proper paperwork. They were obviously going to be deported into a prison in Russia for resisting arrest and even killing a border patrol officer in the process. That was when Ivan stood up, slammed his hand down on the table, and shouted "NO!" at the top of his lungs.

It was after the meeting that Arthur pulled him aside and warned him about speaking out of turn again, but Ivan simply scoffed and walked off. His stepfather, however, had a different way of scolding him.

Later, the King arrived in Ivan's bedroom with a knife.

"This is what happens when you speak out of turn, Ivan."

He had slapped him so hard that he had flown backwards. Ivan leaned against the wall for support, the red outline of his stepfather's hand appearing on his pale cheek.

"You won't be such a loudmouthed git when I'm done with you, you fat, stupid communist."

The King brought the knife down hard on Ivan's shoulder, and when the large Russian slumped to his knees in agony, tore a shallow cut down the side of his face.

"I hope you've learned your lesson, you lumbering wanker."

The servants found him and took the young prince to the infirmary. They patched him up and accompanied him back to his room, demanding to know what had happened. Ivan waved them off dismissively and slammed the door to his room shut, locking himself in.

Arthur came knocking, but Ivan got rid of him by pretending to be asleep. His mother came a few minutes after. She had the keys to his room, so she didn't even bother to knock.

She entered his room and rushed to Ivan, who was sitting on the bed with his back to her. "Ivan, oh Ivan, what happened to you?" She turned his face towards her, gaping at the bloody white patch covering his left eye.

Ivan brushed her hand away coldly, turning away. "Oh no, Ivan, this is all my fault!" The Queen cried, tears smudging her perfectly done makeup. Ivan ignored her sobs, a cold feeling residing in his chest. It is your fault. He thought as she cried. We should have never left Moscow.

"Ivan," she said in a trembling voice. "Will you...can you forgive me?" Her hand touched his shoulder. The prince's entire body went rigid.

Ivan grabbed wrist and stood, yanking her up with him. She let out a surprised shriek as her son's grip tightened. He glared coldly down at her, his uncovered purple eye glimmering with contempt. "You ask if I could forgive you..." He growled. "And I say no." Ivan shoved her roughly, knocking her into the wall. She slowly got to her feet, holding her bruising wrists, and quietly exited the room.

The next morning, the Queen was found dead in the bathroom. She had sliced her wrists open-she had killed herself out of guilt.

Soon the King died of grief, and Arthur took the throne. Soon after he met and married Michelle, choosing Ivan as his best man. Ivan showed up at the reception and downed glass after glass of vodka, drinking himself stupid. He found that the alcohol running through his system helped him forget about his old friends, his dead parents, and the scar permanently left on his face by his coward of a stepfather.

One day, Ivan found himself wandering the streets of the South Side, looking for someone he could beat into a bloody pulp. He found Toris, Raivis, and Eduard that day, residing in an abandoned gun shop. They spent the entire day reminiscing, exchanging stories of after Ivan had left Russia with his now dead mother. But, things were different. Ivan was colder, unfamiliar. His friends were now hardened criminals, not the innocent children he used to know.

Change is a good thing, Ivan thought as his mind wandered back into the present. He touched his scar once before turning away from his reflection.

Someone short and energetic tugged at the end of his scarf. Ivan suppressed a growl and smiled down at Alfred, who was fully dressed and groomed. "All ready, Prince Alfred?"

"Yeah." Alfred nodded eagerly. "Can we go now? Please?"

"Anxious, are we?" Ivan chuckled. "Come then, Prince Alfred. I have surprise for you!"

"What is it?" Alfred asked as he struggled to keep up with his uncle's long strides.

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Silly boy." Ivan ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Well could you at least give me a hint?" Alfred pleaded, ducking away from Ivan's large, gloved hand. Ivan grinned, looking up at the portrait of King Arthur in the Hall of Kings.

"Alfred...it's to die for."

Author's Note:

I decided to put in Ivan's backstory just to make readers at least pity him a bit. Did it work? Let me know!

Review Responses:

sherlocked-with-no-key: I'm trying to write as much as I can over the weekend, so I'll probably have another chapter done before today ends. :D And thank you for reviewing! :D I appreciate it!

hobocat1234: Awwww, your comment gave me warm fuzzies! Thank you sooo much! And Timone and Pumbaa should be coming out in chapter nine or ten. I'm excited!

Frenchfrieswithtoast: Yesss I am such an Iggy fangirl, my obsession is unhealthy. But I love Ivan even more! Anyways, I plan to have all of the characters come together in one of the last scenes, so you'll see a little more of Antonio, for sure.

Frenchfrieswithtoast: Oh my goodness, I thought I was the only one who had annoying classmates that made me think, "Holy crabs I'm turning into Scar." ...okay, you'll either get that joke or not, but anyways, thanks for reviewing, and here's another chapter as a reward!

Keep reviewing, guys! You all give me warm fuzzies~ And not in a creepy way!

All the best, Maple


	8. The Fall of King Arthur

Chapter 8: The Fall of King Arthur

"Uncle Ivan? What are we doing on the freeway?" Alfred inquired nervously as his uncle paused in the center of one of the lanes.

"Technically, Alfred, it's not a freeway quite yet." Ivan corrected. "What do you see that is missing?"

"Um...cars?" Alfred guessed.

"Da! Such a smart little boy you are, Alfred!" Ivan ruffled his hair affectionately. Alfred stared at him like he was crazy; Ivan had never acted so warm and caring towards him or anyone, and frankly it was really starting to freak him out.

"So...why are we here?" Alfred asked again.

"Look around, Alfred! This is the perfect place to practice shooting a gun!" Ivan clapped his gloved hands happily.

Alfred's eyes widened to plate size. "Whoa, really? My dad is really gonna let me shoot a gun? Yes!" The Prince did a little fist-pump, and Ivan chuckled wickedly.

"Da, Prince Alfred. Here you are-it's an early birthday present from me, your favorite uncle!" Ivan slipped a large, sleek black handgun from his coat and handed it to the dangerously excited prince.

"You know you're my only uncle, right?" Alfred mumbled as he examined the black pistol in awe.

"Da, clever boy!" Ivan patted his hair affectionately. "Now, you play around with that while I go fetch Arthur, da?"

"But I don't know how to shoot!" Alfred protested.

"Here, let Uncle help." Ivan grabbed the gun, took off the safety and handed it back to Alfred. Nervously Alfred took it in trembling hands and looked up earnestly at Ivan.

"What should I shoot at?"

"Up there," Ivan replied, pointing up at a concrete bridge. "Try not to hit the supports, though, okay? That's much too difficult for a beginner like you." When he heard this, Alfred scowled. Ivan chuckled. "Your father will be so proud of you once he sees how well you can shoot! Maybe he'll even let you come along to fight bad guys when you get better, da?"

Alfred's eyes widened to the size of saucers and a faint "whoa" escaped his lips. Ivan grinned wickedly and turned to leave. "Well...I'd better go get him."

As Ivan left, he heard Alfred mutter, "Too difficult my ass...huh. I'll show him!"

The large Russian smirked as he walked off, chuckling when the blast of the gun went off from where Alfred was standing. "Whoa!" The Prince shouted. "Awesome!"

Alfred took aim again and this time was able to successfully hit the very edge of the bridge. I can hit that stupid support, Alfred thought, biting his tongue. He took aim, and BAM! The bullet grazed the support, but barely chipped a bit off the edge.

Ivan nodded at the Toris, who was hiding in the shrubbery just off the side of the freeway. Toris took out a cell phone and punched in a text message: _it's time_.

Raivis received the message and grinned; he nodded at Eduard, who was dressed as a road worker. Eduard cackled, motioned for a few others to join him, and walked onto the road in front of the waiting cars.

"Go!" One of the "workers" shouted into a megaphone as the rest removed the barricades from the road. "Evacuate the West Side! There's been a bomb threat! Go!"

Cars zoomed past the workers just as one of the larger buildings in the West part of the city exploded. Fire lit up the sky and ash and debris rained down on the passing cars.

Alfred heard the explosion and looked at his handgun. He knew guns were dangerous, but could a little handgun like this one have cause that? Nah, he thought before taking aim again.

Meanwhile, Ivan stood on top of the bridge, dialing the King's number on his cell phone. After a few rings, Arthur answered.

"Ivan? What is it? I'm in the middle of a meeting." The King said patiently.

"You-Your Majesty!" Ivan gasped, pretending to be out of breath. "There's been a terrible explosion in the West Side! I was out with Alfred-he disappeared, and I followed him all the way to the unfinished highway. He's down there with a gun! I don't know where he got it, but the point is that he's in danger of getting hit by oncoming traffic!"

"WHAT!?" Arthur roared. "Save him then, idiot! I'll never make it in time!"

"It'll be a while before the cars reach us," Ivan explained. "I'm helping out with the survivors of the explosion now-"

"You left him ALONE!? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, IVAN!?"

Ivan bit his lip. That wasn't such a smart move, he had to admit. But he still had to keep trying. Whatever it takes to get Arthur down there.

"Arthur, you know I'm no good at running. I'll never make it. You have to-"

"Yao and I are already in my car." Arthur cut him off with a growl. "And if there was an award for the most irresponsible Uncle in the world, it would most definitely go to you, my friend." After that sarcastic comment, the line went dead. Ivan smiled. _Perfect_.

A few minutes later...

Alfred was too busy shooting to notice the flurry of cars racing towards him, showing no signs of stopping or even slowing down. He stuck his pinkie in his ear and twisted it around, thinking the roaring motors were just ringing in his ears.

Ivan looked back anxiously in the direction of the palace. _Come on, Arthur, hurry up! Your precious son is in danger..._

Just as he thought those very words, a sleek black car skidded to a halt on the bridge-near Ivan. He immediately froze and felt his heartbeat accelerate as a red-faced Arthur stepped out of the vehicle and stomped towards him.

"I'll deal with you later, Ivan." Arthur growled, pushing past him to an emergency ladder. Ivan smirked smugly and leaned on the railing of the bridge. _Or maybe not_, he thought smugly as Arthur climbed down the ladder.

A car zipped past Arthur, leaving him clutching the metal ladder in a death grip. "WANKER!" Arthur screeched after the driver.

Alfred whirled around just in time to see that same car whir past him. Confused, he turned back to the bridge and gasped when he saw his father dangling from the ladder and a whole swarm of cars heading in their direction, showing no signs of slowing down.

Alfred screamed. "DAD!"

"Hurry, Alfred, grab my hand!" Arthur called, reaching out to the prince. Alfred rushed at his hand, grabbed hold of it, but then tripped, falling to the ground and pulling Arthur down with him. Arthur didn't waste a second in standing up, lifting his son by the pits and placing him on the ladder. Alfred climbed up like a spider, looking back at Arthur only when he had reached the top.

The King had landed on his ankle wrong and was struggling to steady himself on the first step of the ladder. "Dad! Hurry!" Alfred screeched, pointing at the oncoming cars. Arthur lifted his good foot, but fell back again when the pressure on his hurt ankle made him wince.

While Arthur dangled from the ladder, Ivan yanked Alfred up through the trapdoor and shouted, "Alfred, run! Get off the bridge!"

Alfred obeyed, and Ivan smirked as the boy ran. Stupid boy. He looked back down at Arthur and suppressed a giggle when a tall semi truck hit the King square in the hip.

"IVAN!" Arthur cried, reaching up to him, "Brother, help me!"

Sighing, Ivan climbed a few pegs down to where the King dangled and reached out with one arm, pulling him up effortlessly. Arthur sighed in relief as his brother pulled him all the way up to the trapdoor, setting him down on the edge.

While Arthur caught his breath, he heard a click and looked up suspiciously. "Ivan..." His voice was dry and scratchy.

Ivan pressed the cold steel of the gun to Arthur's forehead, still grinning pleasantly. _"Long live the King." _

Alfred heard the thunderous clap of the gun from where he rested in the bushes, but he thought nothing of it. He looked back over at the freeway, only yo be greeted with the sight of Arthur's limp body falling-seemingly in slow-motion-towards the swarm of speeding cars below.

"NOO!" The Prince screamed; Arthur's body disappeared into the abyss of cars. No! Alfred let out a devastated, groaning sound before covering his face with his hands and letting out a strangled sob.

Ivan smirked down at a job well-done. Sleep well, brother. May you join our coward of a father in Hell. His brow quirked in interest as a sobbing Prince Alfred slowly made his way over to Arthur's mangled body.

"D-Dad?" Alfred whispered, tears still pouring from his vivid blue eyes. He poked the King in the shoulder. "Wake up! Dad..." Alfred's lip trembled, and he burst into uncontrollable sobs.

"Oh Alfred, what have you done?" Ivan gasped in fake horror as he approached the boy and the corpse.

"It-it wasn't my fault! He-he tried to save me..." Alfred said in a trembling voice as Ivan crouched down next to him and gently stroked his hair.

"I told you not to shoot the supports, didn't I?" Ivan scolded in a gentle purr of a voice. "You hit a...a gas pipe." Ivan decided. "It triggered a small explosion in the West Side." Alfred's eyes widened in horror at what he gad done, and buried his face into Ivan's heavy jacket.

"I-I didn't mean to!" Alfred sobbed. _Dad...you should have let me die instead! _

"Of course, of course you didn't..." Ivan soothed. "But...the King is dead...and if it weren't for you, he'd still be alive." Alfred moved away at his uncle's sweet yet deeply cutting words. "Oh, and will your mother think?"

"What...what am I gonna do?" Alfred hiccuped. "I...I can't go back. I k-killed my own father."

"There is only one thing you can do," Ivan said, gently pushing Alfred away from Arthur's corpse. Alfred looked at him inquisitively, and Ivan continued, _"Run away."_ Alfred's eyes went round like sauce pans. "Run away, Alfred. And never return."

Alfred moved his gaze down to Arthur's mangled body, then back up at Ivan's darkening violet eyes._ It'll be better for everyone to have me gone, he realized. _

The Prince took off running down the now empty freeway just as three shadows gathered behind Ivan. The Russian's pale, thin lips stretched into a wide, satisfied grin, and he commanded, "Kill him."

Toris, Raivis, and Eduard rushed past him. They caught up with Alfred almost instantly. Alfred looked back when he heard the footsteps and gasped. They're coming to finish what they started!

Alfred swerved off the paved road into the thorny shrubbery on the side of the freeway. Toris leapt in after him, but came running back out with thorns embedded in his hindquarters and several other places. Raivis and Eduard stopped, and burst into uncontrollable chortles as Toris began plucking the thorns from his backside saying "Ow, ow, ow!" over and over again.

"Stop! It's NOT FUNNY!" Toris shrieked, going red in the thorn-stuck face.

"Hey! He's getting away!" Raivis thwacked Toris on the back of the head, growling.

"So go get him." Toris answered in his usual coke, calm demeanor.

"There is no way I am going in there." Raivis sneered. "The little brat is good as dead out there anyways. And if by some miracle he does come back, then we'll kill him."

"Yes...I suppose that is good idea." Toris rubbed his chin. "Here, the little runt's jacket got caught on the thorns. We can stain it with blood and give it to Ivan after. He won't be able to tell difference."

"Good idea, Toris." Raivis smirked. Eduard cackled as Toris grabbed the sweater from the bramble bush and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Come. Let's find stray dog at South Side."

At Secretary Williams' house...

"What?! Oh, but...no! That-there has to be a mistake!" Matthew cried, running a hand through his wavy blond hair in distress. "They-both of them? Are you sure?"

A cold chill ran down Madeline's spine. Why did Matthew sound so distressed? And what did he mean by both of them?

Suddenly, Queen Michelle and Alfred's Uncle Ivan appeared on the TV screen. Michelle was in tears, but even though Ivan seemed to be upset as well, there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes. Madeline's skin crawled. Triumph?

Ivan reached out and took hold of Michelle's hand, patting it gently. She covered her face with her hand, seemingly ashamed of appearing so weak before her subjects.

The large Russian man spoke. "Dear subjects," he said in a thick, solemn accent. "Tonight is night to grieve, for both King Arthur and our beloved Prince Alfred have been confirmed dead."

Beside her, Matthew was in tears. Madeline's face crumpled, and a heart-wrenching sob escaped her throat. Matthew gathered the young girl in his arms, knowing that she and Alfred had been the closest of friends. _My poor little girl...he might as well have been the only other kid her age who even acknowledged her existence...and now he's gone, just like that. _

"The loss if our King, Arthur Kirkland, is tragedy. But to lose Alfred, who had only barely begun to live...is more terrible than what words can comprehend." Ivan closed his eyes mournfully for a moment, giving Michelle's hand a gentle squeeze. "So it is with heavy heart that I, Ivan Braginsky, take the throne."

Madeline screamed. Matthew hushed her, feeling her pain. "It'll be alright, Madeline..." He whispered. He looked back at the television, and by the devilish gleam in Ivan's eyes, he couldn't even convince himself of that.

**Author's Note:**

**A moment of silence for our beloved King Arthur.**

**I will reply to your reviews in chapter 9.**

**All the best, Maple**


	9. Non Avete Vi Preoccupate

Chapter 9: Non Avete Vi Preoccupate

It was dark by the time Alfred was too weak, tired, depressed and hungry to keep walking. He collapsed at what looked like an old construction site just outside the city, not caring about what might happen to him of the wrong people found him there.

_I deserve anything that'll happen to me, _Alfred thought miserably. _Dad...I'm sorry..._

Those were his last thoughts before he drifted off into a deep, heavy sleep.

"Ve~, big brother Lovi, can we have pasta for dinner please? I did more work today than yesterday..." Feliciano Vargas clung onto a grouchy dark-haired man's arm, smiling sweetly. A large, brawny blond standing a few feet away snorted.

"Ja, if you can call taking naps in ze cab of ze machines 'work'." The German muttered, taking a long drink of beer. Feliciano frowned, and Lovino snapped.

"Back off, potato bastard, scolding Feli is my job!" Lovino snapped. An albino standing next to the 'potato bastard' sniggered.

"Hey, chillax, Lovi! Just calm down and have an awesome beer with awesome me, ja?" The albino slung an arm around the bulky blonde and grinned. "Zen we can all go out clubbing together, ja?"

Feliciano was delighted with the idea, but both Lovino and the blonde both scoffed.

"Can't, Feli wants pasta for dinner and they don't serve that at clubs. Come on, Feli." Lovino reached for Feliciano's arm but ended up grabbing air when the air-headed Italian latched onto the blonde's beefy arm.

"Ve~ Ludwig, don't you want to come to our house and eat pasta with us? Lovi won't chase you with a knife this time, I promise!" Feliciano pleaded. Ludwig grunted but shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Feliciano, but I have another job I need to take care of. I'll see if I can join you another time, ja?" Ludwig awkwardly patted a disappointed Feliciano's shoulder. The auburn-haired Italian immediately perked up.

"Ve~, okay! Come on, Lovi, let's go make pasta!" Feliciano wrapped his arms around Lovino and led him out the door of the workers lounge, aka a small trailer at the edge of the work site.

As Feliciano babbled on and on about whether they should make spaghetti or bolognese, Lovino scanned the construction site as they walked. They were half finished with the project, and suddenly the workers are given the news that they'll be abandoning the project and moving to California to start an totter one for the same nitpicky company. _Bastards, _Lovino thought. _They're probably Norwegian. _

The squeaking of excited rats interrupted Lovino's thinking. He squinted at a crowd of dark gray rodents gathering around-_holy shit, is that a kid!?_

"AYE! Shoo, get out of here, bastards!" Lovino hissed, breaking away from his brother to go chase the rats away. "Shoo!" He kicked one of them in the behind for good measure before crouching down and prodding the boy with his finger. "Hey, kid. Wake up. You dead, or what?"

"I should be," came the muffled reply.

"Kid, what're you doing here?" Lovino shook his shoulder. "Come on, sit up. Vash doesn't like trespassers and he'll probably blow your head off with his shotgun if he finds you here. Where are your parents?"

"Don't have any." The kid mumbled.

"You're an orphan? Great, so were we. Come on, let's go." Lovino picked the blond boy up by his armpits and set him on his feet. "I hope you like pasta."

"Whuz dat?" Alfred slurred, rubbing one bloodshot blue eye. Lovino shook his head, while Feliciano gasped.

"Big brother, he doesn't know what pasta is!? You poor kid, we have to get you home so you can find out! Come on!" Feliciano picked the prince up and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Come on, Lovi, where's the car? This is an emergency! Hurry!"

"Hey, wait!" Alfred shouted in protest. "I didn't say-"

"Shush, kid." Lovino said as he unlocked the car. Feliciano set Alfred down in the back seat while the two Italians took the front.

Alfred couldn't help but feel a bit scared. _Are you seeing this, Dad? I'm getting abducted by a couple of crazy Italians who keep talking about something called 'pasta'. _

The drive was only a few minutes long before they got to a large estate with a huge well-kept yard and a fountain in the driveway. Alfred merely sniffed. It was nothing compared to the palace he used to live in.

'Come on, kid." Lovino opened Alfred's door and dragged him out when the blonde didn't budge. "Come on," the Italian muttered, dragging him towards the house. "What's with you, kid, eh? You should either be fighting me or walking with me. What's up with you?"

"Don't wanna talk about it." Alfred mumbled miserably. Lovino sighed.

"I know it's tough, kid, but don't worry. Me and my brother live alone, I'm sure we have room for you in _there." _Lovino finished, pointing at the large estate. Alfred shrugged.

"Okay, I guess..."

The two joined Feliciano in the kitchen and sat at the table while the auburn-haired Italian prepared spaghetti.

"Big bro, can we keep him? He's so cute and lonely!" Feliciano took a break while the pasta boiled and hugged a surprised Alfred. "I know! We should take him to California with us! We can raise him and teach him how to build things and eat pasta!"

"Eh..." Lovino examined the boy, who seemed to have a hopeful glimmer shining in his eyes. "I'm not sure..."

"I can go," Alfred said. _If I get out of the country, I'll have less of a risk of being discovered by the authorities. I am the one who killed. King Arthur... _"I don't have any parents, and I ran away from the orphanage. Not that they even care." He pressed, and Lovino shrugged.

"Fine by me, then. We'll just have to buy you a plane ticket."

"Ve~ No we won't, bro! Roderich quit to become a musician, remember? That means we have one extra!" Feliciano pulled three plane tickets to the United States from his back pocket and waved them around mindlessly. "Do you have a passport, _bambino?" _

Alfred froze. _Oh. I didn't think about that part..._ "Um...no."

"Then how are we supposed to fly out of the country?" Lovino inquired. Feliciano jumped up and down in excitement.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know! We can make him a fake passport!" Feliciano grabbed a very real looking passport from one of the kitchen cabinets and showed it to Lovino proudly.

The dark-haired Italian's eyes bulged. "Where the hell did you get that!?"

"Grandpa Julius gave me a whole bunch!" Feliciano explained cheerily. "What's wrong, big bro? Don't they look real enough?"

"They look real, but-" Lovino stopped, and shook his head. "Aye, never mind..."

"Come on, _bambino, _let's take a picture of you!" Feliciano said happily. They all went into the living room and had Alfred stand against the white wall. "Smile!" Feliciano chirped before the camera flashed with a loud _click! _

After Feliciano had printed the picture onto one if the pages of the passport, they sat down and waited for the pasta to finish cooking. Alfred's mind wandered to the day's events, and he sighed, blinking back tears. Lovino noticed.

"Aye, you look blue, kid." the Italian observed. Alfred looked up and sniffed pitifully.

"No, I'd say white! Like Ludwig!" Feliciano said happily.

"No, _idiota, _I mean he looks depressed." Lovino snapped, but the words lacked his usual fire. Looking at Alfred, he said, "You know, kid, there's something my grandpa once told me that I'm going to tell you. Non Avete Vi Preoccupate."

"What?" Alfred tilted his head in confusion.

"Don't you worry." Lovino translated. "When our parents died, I looked just like you. Depressed, sad, lonely. But when I took what Grandpa Julius said to heart...I saw that there was no use in dwelling on the past." He gazed meaningfully at Alfred. "I don't know what's got you so upset, or how you ended up here...but just think about that for a day or two. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think so." Alfred nodded, and forced a smile. "Hey, that 'pasta' stuff you guys keep talking about is starting to smell good. When'll it be ready?"

"Ve~ Now, _bambino!" _Feliciano said happily. The red haired Italian skipped over to the stove while Lovino looked at Alfred curiously.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Alfred Kir-uhh, Jones." Alfred said, fake coughing. _I almost said Kirkland! I wonder what he would've done if I hadn't said Jones instead...ugh, I don't want to find out. He seems kinda grouchy. _"Alfred F. Jones," Alfred confirmed, scratching the back of his head.

"Jones, huh? That's an American name, isn't it?" Lovino inquired. "Are you American?"

"Um, I don't know..." Alfred lied. "I don't know much about my parents or my heritage."

"Mm."

"Pasta's done!" Feliciano announced happily, setting a plate of spaghetti down in front of both of them.

Alfred scrutinized the noodles skeptically. "It looks like worms," he said, unsure of whether he wanted to try this peculiar dish.

Feliciano gasped, and Lovino looked at him quizzically. "You said it smelled good a while ago."

"It does, but...it just looks kind of...slimy." Alfred said in a quiet voice. _Great. I insulted my hosts and possibly new caretakers. I wouldn't be surprised if they kicked me out now. _

But Feliciano didn't seem upset or offended at all. "It's okay, _bambino, _it may look a little slimy, but it's good! I promise!"

"Slimy yet satisfying." Lovino mumbled in agreement, digging into his plate.

"Well...it does smell good." Alfred grabbed the fork, wound a wad of spaghetti around it, and took a large, daring bite. He chewed, skeptically at first, but slowly his jaw relaxed. Swallowing, he said, "Slimy...yet satisfying." He grinned. Feliciano made that weird "_ve_" sound and Lovino gave the tiniest of smiles.

"Glad you like it. Now eat. We need to get up early tomorrow to drive over to the airport."

Alfred happily ate the rest of his pasta while Feliciano and Lovino talked to each other about their upcoming trip of the United States. _I just hope the airport security doesn't get suspicious about me looking so much like 'Prince Alfred'..._

The next day, the three of them got up early and packed up their stuff. Feliciano and Lovino both gave Alfred some of their old clothes, which looked nothing like what Alfred used to wear. They consisted of mostly t-shirts, faded jeans, and even a cool brown bomber jacket that Lovino had been given as a gift but never wore. He also found some glasses resting on one of the boxes of old clothes.

"Hey, um, I left my glasses back at the orphanage. Do you think I could have these...?" Alfred asked quietly.

"Eh? Oh, those must be some old ones of Roderich. We used to hang around in the basement a lot." Lovino shrugged. "Sure, go ahead. Edelstein is long gone, anyways."

Alfred put the glasses on and found that along with the new clothes, they did make him look quite different. He mussed up his hair for good measure, and then joined the Italian brothers in the car.

The drive to the airport was about an hour long. Alfred recognized the Prideland International Airport the moment they stepped out of the car. He had gone on many vacations with his family and Maddie and her father-mostly to places like the Bahamas and tropical beaches in Brazil and Mexico.

_Don't think about that. There's no use dwelling on the past. _Alfred told himself. _I'm starting a new life in the U.S. I can't ever come back here. __**Ever.**_

_Nine years later..._

"Yo, dudes, it's break time! Awesome!" A tall, blond, muscular, twenty-one year old Alfred wiped the sweat from his forehead and joined Lovino and Feliciano in the shade. "Dudes, let's go eat some Micky D's! I'm totally craving burgers!"

"Whaaat?" Feliciano cried. "But I packed us all pasta! Are you really just gonna let it go to waste!? I worked so hard on it!"

Alfred laughed. " Dude, you pack pasta, like, every day. Don't you ever want to eat anything else?"

"You mean like pizza?" Feliciano asked hopefully. His stomach growled, and Lovino rolled his eyes.

_"Idiotas. _Feli, if Al wants burgers, then you go share your pasta with the potato bastard and his albino brother. I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

"Ve~ you're right, big bro! Ludwig and Gilbert will share my pasta with me!" Feliciano smiled brightly and skipped over to where the two Germans were sitting in the shade.

"Dude, you want anything? I'm buying." Alfred said to Lovino, removing his yellow hard helmet. He shook out his blond hair so it was mussed up and wild, like he had forgotten to comb it.

Lovino shrugged. "Maybe I'll just go eat with potato bastard and Feli. Catch you later, bro," Lovino gave a small wave before sauntering after his brother.

"Later!" Alfred called before turning and strolling towards the McDonald's across the street from the construction project. _Dude, how could none of them want Micky D's? It's like, the world's most high-quality burgers! _

He whistled an off-key tune to himself as he stood in line, contemplating whether he should get two Big Macs and one extra large order of fries or two orders of fries and one Big Mac. Once he had placed his order, his mind wandered to topics besides food. _I wonder how things are doing back in the Pridelands? Ivan has been King for nine years now, and I'm pretty sure with his way of running things and disrespecting foreign leaders he's going to end up starting World War III. _

Alfred shook his head and chuckled softly. _What am I doing, worrying about politics and shit? It's not my problem. _He winced. _Not anymore, at least..._

His food came, but he didn't feel so hungry anymore. He sighed, grabbing the paper bag and walking out of the restaurant. _I miss you, Dad...you know that, right? _

**Author's Note:  
>So, what do you guys think of Italy and Romano? Ivan is a bastard in this story, don't you guys agree?<strong>

**Review Responses!**

**Stellar MEL: Yeah, I see how you could think that, with England's "Dad" having a British accent and all. I just thought it would be fitting for Arthur's dad to be, well, British. Anyways, you guessed right! Italy and a nicer-but-still-foul-mouthed Romano are the Hakuna Matata Duo. **

**sherlocked-with-no-key: Aw, you give me warm fuzzies! Thank you!**

**Big Eater Queen: Poor Iggy! And yeah, Russia does have a pretty depressing backstory... You guessed right! Italy and Romano are Timon and Pumbaa!**

**shelocked-with-no-key: Wow. I didn't know you liked it that********much. I feel so special. :D Sorry I can't post as often as I'd like to, I have a lot of homework from all of my classes I need to do during the week. **

**frenchfrieswithtoast: You guys are all so sweet! Thanks for all of the lovely reviews. And don't feel ****_too _****sorry for Ivan...he ****_is _****the villain, you know. :D**

**Big Eater Queen: I know, poor Iggy... He didn't deserve such a cruel death! Ivan, you bastard! *sobs***

**mimi-chan and aliling-chan: I'm not too good with writing sad scenes, but I'm glad I got the feeling of sadness through. :) You like my choice for Timon and Pumbaa?**

**frenchfrieswithtoast: Oh my goodness, thank you for having so much faith in this story! Your reviews make me want to keep going as fast as I can! And also...I died a little inside when I wrote Iggy's death. ;-;**

**sherlocked-with-no-key: Wow! I've never considered my work to be "awesome" before... The word "Awesome" has a new meaning to us Hetalia fangirls because of one man: Prussia**

**Thank you for all the great reviews! Keep 'em coming! **

**All the best, Maple**


	10. Ivan the Terrible

Chapter 10: Ivan the Terrible

Matthew Williams let out a long, shaky breath of air before composing himself and knocking on Ivan's bedroom door. "Your Majesty, it's Secretary Williams. May I come in?"

"Enter!" Came the giggly reply. Matthew sucked in a terrified breath and pushed the door open. He only sounded that happy when he was drunk-and that was before he got violent. Matthew touched a bruise on his cheek; he'd learned not to oppose Ivan when he was drunk the hard way.

"Your Majesty," Matthew murmured, bowing.

"You got my proposition, didn't you, Matvey?" Ivan giggled, swirling the vodka around in its bottle. "Concerning your daughter..."

Matthew swallowed hard. "I did," he replied quietly.

"And...?" Ivan asked, growing impatient.

Matthew flinched. "And...I just don't think...well...you see...I-"

"Dad?" A quiet, feminine voice whispered, and Matthew turned to face his daughter. Maddie Williams was standing in the doorway, flanked by two of Ivan's huge guards. A chill ran down Matthew's back; Maddie removed her white beret and curtsied. Ivan's large hands came down on Matthew's shoulders, startling the secretary.

"Leave us, Matvey. Yao, you too." Matthew, Maddie, and the guards all looked back into the bedroom. The Asian advisor was tied to a column by the King's desk, struggling with all his might against the binds.

"Sire, this is hardly an appropriate form of punishment for merely trying to help you with your drinking problem!" Yao screeched. "Please, untie me! I'll mind my own business next time, I promise!"

"Da, you certainly will!" Ivan laughed pleasantly. He walked back to the column and untied the ropes. "Now go, all of you. I want to discuss something with..._Madeline." _The King said, eyeing her hungrily. Madeline gulped, and Matthew turned a deep, angry shade of red.

"Oh...but don't you think we should stay?" Yao asked weakly, gesturing to himself and Matthew. The secretary nodded vigorously, a fierce, fiery need to protect his daughter igniting itself in his stomach.

"Nyet, go." Ivan growled. "You're not needed here anymore. Go...get me more vodka."

Yao and Matthew both opened their mouths to protest, but with a command in Russian from the King, the guards dragged the two men away and slammed the door shut.

"Ah, quite the bothersome pair, aren't they?" Ivan chuckled, reaching towards Maddie. She pressed herself against the door, aiming to open it and run if he touched her, but her escape plan disintegrated when she heard the door lock.

Maddie let out a terrified, shaky breath when she felt the King's warm knuckles gently grazing her cheekbone. Ivan murmured something in Russian and removed his hand. "Come, _dorogaya, _sit." Ivan said, gesturing to the large bed.

"Oh, um...I'm fine standing up, actually." Maddie murmured, avoiding his gaze.

Ivan wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. "Sit, please." He wrapped one arm around her waist and led her to the big white bed, chuckling at the bright red blush that spread across her cheeks. Ivan took a seat, bringing her down with him. Maddie shifted uncomfortably; did he have to sit so _close? _He smelled like a bar!

"Comfortable?" Ivan purred. His arm snaked around her slim shoulders, and Maddie shivered when his breath tickled her ear: "Unless you'd prefer to sit _here." _Ivan murmured, patting his lap.

Maddie's face turned fire-engine red. "Oh, um-no thank you! I-I'm fine here!"

Ivan chuckled. "I've come to a realization, Madeline...or Maddie, as they call you."

Maddie suppressed her anger by taking deep breaths. "Oh? About what?" _Bastard...only my _friends _can call me Maddie!_

"Surely, you must know, _dorogaya." _Ivan drawled. "Every King needs a Queen..."

_Oh my gosh...he can't be serious! _Maddie thought, her spine prickling. _What is he, like forty? I'm only twenty one! I miss the days when no one noticed me!_

"And every King needs an heir." Ivan smiled, lifting her chin with the crook of his finger. "Beautiful Madeline...Maddie...I want you to give me that heir..." His voice trailed off, and he leaned down. "Marry me, Maddie." He whispered. Maddie's heart throbbed, but not with love-with _terror. _

Madeline shrunk away from Ivan, who growled and wrapped both his arms around her, trapping her. Pinning a squirming, shrieking Maddie to the bed, Ivan clapped one hand over her mouth and smiled down at her. "You like to play, do you, Maddie? Then let us play..." He chuckled once, and his amethyst eyes gleamed as he murmured, _"Become __**one **__with me, Maddie." _

Ivan stupidly removed his hand, and Madeline screamed one word: "DAAAAAAAD!"

"YAAAAAAAHH!" The lock flew off of the doors as they flew open; Yao landed in the center of the room, striking a Kung fu pose. Matthew followed, holding a smoking gun. He struck a badass pose and pointed the gun at a very surprised Ivan.

When he saw the way Ivan was slipping his hand up his daughter's shirt, Matthew's fighting spirit flared. He said in an uncharacteristically steady, confident, loud voice: "SAY BONJOUR TO THE RESISTANCE, BITCH!"

Maddie whooped. "Yeah, go Dad!" Ivan glared at her, and she immediately shut her mouth. _Dad may have the gun, but this guy has an army...plus he also has his hand on my boob, so I don't want to provoke him._

In one swift movement Ivan yanked Madeline up and whipped a gun from his coat, pressing the cold steel to her head. Maddie frowned when she realized that he hadn't even bothered to take his hand out of her shirt. _Pervert, _she thought grumpily.

"What matters more to you, _Matvey?" _Ivan sneered, clicking something into place on his gun. "This 'resistance' you speak of, or you precious daughter?"

Matthew ground his teeth. "Let her go, Ivan. Don't bring an innocent girl into this."

"Dad, don't worry about me!" Maddie cried, her uniquely colored eyes going round. "Just shoot him!"

"Shh," Ivan purred into her ear. "I won't shoot you, _dorogaya..._just relax, da?"

"You probably say that to a lot of girls," Maddie hissed.

A deep, throaty laugh emitted from Ivan's lips. "What makes you think that, Maddie?" He whispered without moving his gaze from the other two men. "I only have eyes for _you." _

_Ivan Braginsky has a gift, _Maddie decided. _He can make even the sweetest statements sound horribly creepy. _

"Gun is empty," Ivan continued softly in her ear. "I promise."

_Big mistake telling me that, _Maddie thought with a smirk.

The Canadian girl screamed: "IT'S EMPTY! SHOOT HIM!"

Matthew pulled the trigger, and a bullet whizzed past Ivan's head, trimming a few hairs off the side of his head. His grip loosened for a split second, giving Maddie the perfect opportunity to jump off the bed and rush behind the protection of her father and Mr. Wang.

"Run, Maddie!" Matthew ordered. Yao grabbed the young woman's arm and towed her away from her father, who was caught in a stand-off with the King himself.

"DAD!" Maddie cried.

"I'll be fine, Maddie!" Matthew called without looking back. "Just get away from here! Fast!"

Maddie followed Yao all the way down to the garage. The Chinese man yanked open a car door and shoved a variety of items into her hands. "Your father wants you to leave for the United States," Yao explained quickly. "Board the nine 'o' clock flight from the Prideland International Airport to California. And don't come back until we call you to tell you it's safe!"

Maddie got in the car and dumped the pile of stuff onto the passenger's seat beside her. Scanning it once, she realized it consisted of her passport, car keys, a plane ticket, and a charger for her phone. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she jammed the keys into the ignition and jerked the car sloppily out of its parking space.

Once she was safely on the road, Maddie decided to turn on the radio to distract her. A familiar song started playing-it was Alfred's favorite song when they were young. Maddie sniffed. _I miss you, Alfred. You didn't deserve to die like that-and neither did King Arthur. Ivan should have never taken the throne._

**Author's Note:  
>Aw, poor Ivan, he only wanted a little love...<br>Just kidding. IVAN, YOU CREEP! FIND A WOMAN YOUR OWN AGE AND WHO'S ACTUALLY INTERESTED! Like Natalya. (snicker)**

**Keep the reviews coming! **

**All the best, Maple**


	11. Reunion

Chapter 11: Reunion

Maddie arrived in California the next day at two in the morning. She sleepily took up her maple leaf-printed satchel from the nifty little pouch in front of her first-class seat and trudged out of the plane with the rest of the exhausted passengers.

She walked past the luggage collecting stations—having none—and went straight to the lobby. A chauffeur holding a sign with the name "Madeline" on it was waiting by the doors. The young blond walked over to the man and he asked, "Madeline Williams?"

"Yes," Maddie said, nodding.

The chauffer smiled. "Okay, come on. Your father has booked a hotel room for you in a nice place in Los Angeles. It's across the street from a construction site, but the project should be done in a few days." The friendly man led her to a—wow, Matthew had thought of everything—limousine loaded with movies and drinks. "It'll be a long drive, so make yourself comfortable." The driver said as she climbed in.

"Thank you," Maddie smiled graciously and opened a bottle of water. She took a small sip and leaned back against the comfortable seat. _I could fall asleep here…_

A few moments after, she was asleep.

When Maddie woke up again, bright sunlight was leaking in through the tinted windows of the limo. The door opened, and the cheery driver stuck his head in. "Ms. Williams, we've arrived! How was your trip?"

"I wouldn't know, I was sleeping the whole time." Maddie laughed airily. "So, we're in L.A.?"

"Yep!" The driver nodded. "Come on, your room is waiting!"

Maddie slowly stretched out and yawned; she got out of the car with her small satchel and slung it around her torso, still half-asleep. She removed her glasses, rubbed her eyes, and then put them back on. Blinking, she scrutinized the construction site across the street; workers were busily putting the finishing touches on a tall, unpainted building. A red-haired man was taking a nap on the roof of a crane, but woke with a start and nearly fell off when a short, skinny man yelling in German pointed a shotgun at him.

Someone bumped into her. He was tall, blond, fit, and wearing a neon-orange and yellow worker's vest. Maddie flushed red; he was handsome, yes, but he hardly seemed to notice her. "Sorry," he mumbled before continuing across the street.

_Rude, _Maddie huffed, crossing her arms. She was following the chauffer into the hotel when suddenly, it clicked.

_Alfred._

She looked back at the site; the Alfred-lookalike was chatting it up with the lazy redhead and a darker haired man. They were laughing about something. Maddie looked back at the chauffer and smiled sweetly.

"Sir," she said, tapping him on the shoulder. "I'm going to go for a walk. I can check in later."

"Oh—but aren't you tired from your trip? You should go in and get some rest." The driver insisted.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Maddie assured him. "I'm going now. Thank you so much for the ride!"

"It was my pleasure, _se__ñ__orita!" _The man waved as she left.

Maddie stopped. She turned around and smiled. "Mr. Fernandez?" She asked hopefully.

Familiar green eyes shimmered as he removed his hat, revealing a mop of chocolate brown hair. Antonio smiled and said, "I thought you didn't recognize me, _Se__ñ__orita Williams! _I was starting to get a little sad!"

Maddie laughed whole-heartedly. "Oh my God, I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner! Thank you so much, Mr. Fernandez!" Glancing back at the work site, she gasped when Alfred and his friends had started to get lost in a crowd of busy workers. "But I really have to go. Thank you! Bye!"

"Be careful, _chica! _Take good care of yourself! Bye!" Antonio called after her.

Maddie crossed the street, almost got hit by an oncoming car, and scrambled away from the cussing driver before he could really flatten her into a pancake. Her stomach growled. _Speaking of pancakes, I haven't had breakfast…_

Ignoring her hunger, Maddie stopped at the edge of the site and looked around for the blond man she had bumped into. She spotted him going into a blue porta-potty while the brown-haired man waited outside.

Maddie stealthily snuck around the other side of the building and peeked at the porta-potty from around a corner. Sitting between her and the portable bathroom was the red-haired man stuffing his face with different types of sausage.

"Ve~, I'm so glad Ludwig let me eat some of his wurst! It always tastes so good!" The redhead sang in a high-pitched Italian accent. The smell of the sausage hit Maddie's nose, and her stomach growled. _They do smell really good…_

Maddie crept closer to him and worked up the courage to tap him on the shoulder. The Italian froze. "Um, hello, can you—"

"AHHHHH!" Feliciano screamed, throwing his plate of wurst into the air. Maddie stumbled backwards, equally surprised. The auburn-haired Italian darted away from the bench, stepping on the perfectly good sausage as he ran. He latched onto a shocked looking Lovino and pointed at the shocked Canadian.

"Big bro, help! THERE'S A GHOST TRYING TO STEAL MY WURST!" Feliciano screeched. Lovino looked at his brother, and then at Maddie, and then back at Feliciano.

"Feli, it's not a ghost, _idiota. _It's just a girl." Lovino rolled his eyes and shoved Feliciano away.

"Ohhh! Hi, _bella!" _Feliciano smiled sweetly, running over to her while waving his arms frantically. Lovino followed slowly, letting the "flirty Italian" side of him come out.

"Wow, you're cute!" Feliciano said happily, getting too close for Maddie to be comfortable with. After the incident with Ivan, she wasn't exactly looking for another man to flirt with her.

"Yeah, _bella, _ignore this _idiota _here, my name is Lovino." The darker-haired man winked. Feliciano frowned.

"But _fratello, _what about Antonio?" He asked innocently.

Lovino turned a bright shade of cherry red. "What the hell are you talking about, _idiota?! _What about that tomato bastard, eh!?"

"But I saw you—"

"FELICIANO!" Lovino spat. Feliciano shrieked and ducked behind Maddie, who in turn shrieked and ducked behind him when Lovino approached them.

"Hey, dudes, what's going on?" The tall blonde from earlier appeared beside Lovino, looking cheerful and clueless. Lovino let out a long breath of air through his nose and closed his eyes.

"Nothing. Feliciano was just being—"

"HAHAHA, NO WAY THAT HOT CHICK IS LIKE TOTALLY CHECKING ME OUT!" Alfred laughed in a familiar, loud laugh, making Maddie's heart beat faster and her cheeks flush red.

"A—Alfred?" She asked in a tiny voice.

Alfred's eyes went round for a minute, and then he laughed triumphantly. "No way, she knows my name too!? Well, I guess I _am _pretty popular around these parts, being a hero and all." He puffed out his chest proudly, lending her a hand.

As Maddie stood, Lovino scoffed. "It was that one time you pushed that little kid out of the way of a car going what, .02 miles per hour?"

"Don't mind him, he's just jealous." Alfred whispered to Maddie, and she giggled softly. "So, what's a pretty lady like you doing in a place like this? You could get hurt without a helmet." Alfred said, tapping his yellow hardhat.

"Alfred," Maddie said, leaning closer to him. "It's me. Do—do you remember?"

Alfred froze. _Those eyes…purple…I only know one girl with eyes like __**that. **_Removing his eyeglasses, Alfred leaned towards her, squinting at her. "M—Maddie? Is that you?"

The smile that brightened Maddie's features was enough to light up an entire room. "Alfred!" She squealed, tears of joy prickling her eyes. "I missed you so much!" Maddie threw her arms around the taller blonde, her heart accelerating like a racecar when she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Maddie," he sighed into her hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes, embracing tightly, before Alfred pulled away, smiling from ear to ear. "What are you _doing _here?"

"What do you mean, what am _I _doing here, what are _you _doing here?" Maddie's smile faltered a bit, and she added, "Everyone thinks you're dead."

"Huh?" Alfred's eyebrows rose.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Lovino demanded, breaking them apart. Turning to Alfred, he spat, "Who's this? She just snuck onto our work site, scared my brother shitless, and now we're celebrating a reunion or something!?"

"Whoa, Lovi, calm down." Alfred raised his hands defensively. "Feli, Lovi, this is Maddie. She's my _best friend!" _

"What?" Lovino's eyes widened. "I thought _we _were your best friends!"

Alfred completely ignored him. "Maddie, about what you said earlier—about people thinking I'm dead. What…what was that about?" He asked, dread making his skin crawl.

"Ivan told us about the bomb, and the accident on the freeway." Maddie said, her expression darkening. "He said you were dead. But you're here." She smiled again. "You're alive! You can come back! Oh, what'll everyone think?" She gasped suddenly. "And—and your _mother!"_

"She doesn't…she doesn't have to know." Alfred stopped her before she could continue. "No one—nobody has to know."

"What?" Maddie tilted her head in confusion. "But—"

"Listen, I have to get back to work now." Alfred cut her off. He registered the hurt in her expression and then continued weakly, "But if you want to know, meet me in front of here at seven 'o' clock tonight. Got it?"

Maddie forced a weak smile. "Yeah. Sure. I'll be here."

They parted ways after that. Maddie returned to her hotel room, closed the door, and collapsed on her bed.

_That's not the Alfred I used to know..._

**Author's Note:  
>Hi guys, I updated again, yay! Homework sucks eggs. Anywho...<strong>

**Review Responses: Big Eater Queen: I know right? All Alfred and Maddie have to do is go find Natalya and sic her on Ivan to make him give up the crown! And yeah, there was actually supposed to be a near r-word scene in the original Lion King movie with Scar and Nala just before she leaves and finds Simba, so I based Chapter 10 off of that. **

**OnyxBunneraffe: Yeah, I remembered that Mattie was raised by France, and he's also neighbors with one of the world's biggest superpowers, so...that line was born. :D Glad you like it. And wow, I'm actually awesome-quality? Thanks!**

**Sherlocked-with-no-key: Yeah, Russia's a big creepy psycho. But we love him anyways, right? XD Fan girl logic.**

**pastaadict: Yay, I'm glad you think so! And yes, poor Alfred; it's amazing he was able to sleep at night with those thoughts running through his mind.**

**Stellar MEL: Thank you! And Ivan's such a big, fat liar, it's a wonder no one stepped up and questioned him further about what happened. That's what I thought about the actual movie; like, why didn't anyone step up to confront Scar? How did they know what he was saying was the truth? Hmm... Anyways, thanks for the reviews!**

**Stellar MEL: I agree. Ivan is indeed a freak. A very handsome, Russian, vodka-drinking, loveable freak. **

**So guys, I've been thinking, and I kind of want to do another one of these Hetalia-Disney stories. I have a few in mind, but do you have any requests? If so, tell me in the reviews!**

**All the best, Maple**


	12. Can You Feel The Love?

Chapter 12: Can You Feel The Love?  
>Maddie was ready and waiting in front of the construction site at seven, just like Alfred had said. She had gone out and bought a few new clothes from some of the shops near her hotel room, which resulted in her dressing up in a bright red dress and a short white cardigan. Her long blond locks were in their usual loose pigtails, and she wore her favorite white beret on her head.<p>

As she waited for Alfred, she began to fiddle anxiously with the maple leaf pendant around her neck. She had found it waiting for her on her bed, with a note from Matthew. _Be safe. You'll be able to come home soon. I promise. Love, Daddy._

The Canadian girl sighed and stuffed her hands into the folds of her dress, a bad habit she had picked up when she was little. _Oh Alfred…if only you knew how much your people needed you._

"YO, MADDIE!" Alfred's voice rang through the street, and one of the most elaborate-looking sports cars Maddie had ever seen jerked to a hasty halt on the road beside her. Alfred stuck his head out the driver's side window and grinned. "Hop in, girl! We're going clubbing!"

"What—oh, um, okay!" Maddie smoothed out her dress hastily and opened the car door. She buckled herself in, realizing that they weren't along when a deep Italian voice mumbled something from the back seat.

"Yo, dudes, relax! What's so bad about riding in the back seat, huh!? Come on, cheer up! It's just a five minute drive!" Alfred said in his loud, cheery voice.

"Whatever, _bianco." _Lovino muttered.

And then Maddie was subjected to the most nerve-wracking, horrifying drive of her life. It was even worse than that time when Alfred had convinced her to ride the Barf Coaster 3.0 at the boardwalk, and _that _was a catastrophe through and through.

By the time they had gotten to the club, Maddie was almost hyperventilating, but the Italian brothers and Alfred seemed fine. _Is this how they normally drive? _Maddie thought as she stumbled out of the car.

"Ve~ look, Ludwig and Gilbert are here!" Feliciano pointed at the two security guards decked out in all black standing at the front door, checking people before they went in.

"Yo, dudes! Is this the other job you were talkin' about or what?" Alfred said as they walked over. Gilbert grinned.

"Ja, man! Aren't me and Luddy like the awesomest security guards ever? Kesesesese!"

"Don't call me that." Ludwig muttered. "Are you going in? You're holding up the line."

"Ve~ come on, Lovino! I want to dance with all the pretty girls!" Feliciano pulled Lovino into the building and Alfred followed, but Gilbert stepped in front of him.

"Hey, stop right there, Al! You haven't introduced us to your pretty girlfriend, kesesese!" Gilbert laughed as Maddie turned a deep shade of red.

"Yo, dudes, this is Maddie!" Alfred pushed her forward, like he was showing her off. "We were like, tight as kids!"

"You never talked about having such a hot friend, Al!" The loud albino looked Maddie up and down. "So you guys hook up now, or what?"

Maddie yelped, but Alfred didn't deny it. "Whatever, Gilbert. Can we go in?"

"Sure, sure." Gilbert stepped aside, still making that weird "kesesese!" noise.

"Friends of yours?" Maddie smiled shyly at Alfred as they entered the dark, smoky club.

"Yeah, hope Gil didn't embarrass you too much. He's kind of a pervert, you know?" Alfred grinned and pulled her towards the crowded dance floor. "Come on, let's dance!"

"Huh? But I don't—waaah!" Alfred succeeded in yanking her onto the floor with him; Maddie surged forward at his unnecessary force and crashed into his chest, feeling warm when she heard him laugh.

Alfred began to dance, moving in perfect sync with the melody of the loud, American music blasting through the giant speakers all around the floor. Maddie tried her best to copy his movements, stiffly at first; after a while, though, the Canadian girl began to loosen up.

"Now you're getting it!" Alfred smiled charmingly. "Come on, lemme twirl ya!" He took hold of Maddie's hand and spun her around, once out, and then back towards him.

"Wheeee!" Maddie giggled, falling onto him as the room spun around her. "I'm dizzy!"

"You want a drink?" Alfred suggested. Maddie nodded, and they made their way over to the bar where Feli and Lovino were busily chatting with a group of shameless American women.

Alfred ordered two glasses of vodka from the bartender, and Maddie's skin crawled at the all-too familiar smell. She cringed at the memories that came with the scent:

_"__Become __**one **__with me, Maddie…"_

"What's wrong? Don't like vodka?" Alfred tilted his head curiously.

"Oh, um—I'll stick with water." Maddie pushed the glass of clear liquid away, shivering, and ordered a glass of water.

"Hey," Alfred squinted at her. "What's wrong?"

"Um—nothing." Maddie gulped down the ice water and changed the subject, smiling at him. "You got glasses?"

"Yeah." Alfred took them off and examined them. "I didn't need 'em at first, but now that I've been wearing them for nine years, my vision gets blurry when I don't put them on."

"Huh." Maddie shyly looked him up and down. "You've…filled out, since I last saw you." She said, referring to his muscled build. "You look…different.

Alfred grinned. "Yeah, construction work will do that to ya." He paused before adding, "Different…as in good?"

"I don't know." Maddie admitted. They were silent for a few more moments before she broke the silence: "I think I'm gonna step outside for a while. I need some air."

"Can I go with you? This cigarette smoke is chokin' me." Alfred ran his fingers through his dark blond hair nervously. Maddie nodded, and they headed outside.

Lovino had been watching them from his place among the flirty women. He nudged his brother and hissed, "I see what's going on between them."

"Ve~, what, Lovi?" Feli asked.

"They're falling in love, and here's the bottom line; our trio's down to two." Lovino growled. Feli gasped.

"Maddie is going to take Al away from us!?"

"Exactly."

Maddie stepped out into the cold night air and walked to the other side of the building, where there was no one to bother them. Alfred stood close to her as she pulled the rubber bands from her hair, shaking out her long, wavy blond tresses.

Alfred twirled a lock with his finger. "You need to quit that. You're freaking beautiful."

Maddie blushed. "Yeah. Right."

_"__Beautiful Madeline…Maddie…" _

The Canadian girl shut her eyes tightly for a few moments, trying to block out the haunting memory.

"Maddie?" Alfred asked, touching her cheek. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She sucked in a sharp breath and tilted her head back, looking up at the smoggy city sky. Alfred removed his glasses, and for a moment Maddie was reminded of the carefree little boy who just couldn't wait to be King.

"Maddie." Alfred said. Maddie looked up at him to reply, but her voice was muffled by Alfred's lips upon her own.

She panicked, throwing herself backwards. Maddie crashed into the brick wall of the building, clenching her teeth at the pain.

"Whoa, Maddie! I—I'm sorry, if you didn't want me to—"

"No, no, no! It wasn't you, it's just…" Maddie sighed. "I guess I was gonna have to tell you eventually…"

"Tell me what? Maddie, what's wrong?" Alfred pressed.

"It—it's just…" The blond girl sighed, leaning weakly against the brick wall. She rubbed her temples before replying, "Ivan tried to rape me."

She closed her eyes, her skin crawling at the tension that suddenly filled the air around them.

Alfred's voice was low and dangerous. _"What?" _

"He—he said he wanted heirs, and he contacted my dad—" Maddie wiped a tear from her eye. "He called me to meet with him in his office—which is also his bedroom—and…he…he…"

Choked by her sobs of self-pity, Maddie couldn't finish. The cold night air reminded her of how ice-cold the King's hands had felt as they slid underneath her clothes, touching her in ways that made her feel absolutely _filthy._

"Maddie." Alfred put his hands on her shoulders, ignoring the way she flinched at his touch. "I would never hurt you like that. You know that….right?"

"I know." Maddie took one of his hands and pressed it against her cheek. "I just…I'm scared, Alfred. He…he has my dad, and Mr. Wang…he's turned the monarchy into a tyranny, Alfred! He's a terrible king! He let the criminals from the South Side become his own personal police force! The Pride Lands are a train wreck! We're going through a drought, a famine; it's as if nature itself is calling for help! Please, if you don't do something everyone will starve!"

"What can _I _do!?" Alfred snapped, yanking his hand back. "Why should I go back? It's not my problem anymore. Let Parliament deal with it."

"There is no Parliament! Alfred, how could you just sit here and let that tyrant destroy your country? Your _home!?" _Maddie demanded, raising her voice for the first time in years.

"That's not my home anymore, this is!" Alfred gestured around at the shady alley they were standing in. "I move around, working with Lovi and Feli and the guys now. We've been all over the country! I've had a good life with no worries and no responsibilities, and it's great!"

"What's happened to you?" Maddie glared at him, shivering in the cold night air. "You're not the Alfred I used to know."

"No. I'm not. Happy?" Alfred sneered.

Maddie scoffed. "No. Just disappointed."

"You know, you're starting to sound like my father." Alfred turned away from her, heading back towards the entrance to the nightclub.

"Good! At least one of us does!" Maddie shouted after him.

Something inside Alfred snapped. He whirled around, approaching her with a red face and clenched fists. "Listen! You think you can just show up here and tell me how to live my life!? You don't even know what I've been through, so lay off, would you!"

"I would understand if you'd just tell me!" Maddie pleaded.

"Forget it!" Alfred scoffed, storming off.

"Fine!" Maddie yelled. "Go ahead and leave like the coward you are!"

"Buzz off!" Alfred shouted angrily back at her.

Maddie glared hard at the ground, kicking some gravel with her foot. _Stupid Alfred…those two Italian morons have damaged him for life. And now all he wants to do is drink and dance at stupid nightclubs…no responsibilities? More like no sense of reality…_

**Author's Note:  
>Hey guys, it's Maple! Chapter 12, yay! Sorry I didn't upload earlier, I had this one HUGE project due for school so that kind of took up all of my free time...stupid education. :D Just kidding, I love school, as long as the homework is moderately proportioned. We students have lives too, ya know!Anywho...<strong>

**I'm too lazy to respond to reviews, so let me just make this one general: **

**Thank you so much to all of those who are still reading up to this point, all of your comments and praises give me warm fuzzies. :D  
>As for suggestions for other Disney-Hetalia stories, I was thinking of either doing Snow White or (please don't kill me!) Frozen. What do you guys think? <strong>

**All the best, Maple.**


	13. Remember Me, My Son

Chapter 13: Remember Me

"Damn woman…she can't just come over here and start telling me what to do!" Alfred fumed to himself as he walked hurriedly down the street. He had no idea where he was going or why, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to walk and clear his mind.

"Vous etes Francias, et je ne suis pas! Vous etes Francias, et je ne suis pas!"

Alfred looked up to see a wild blond Frenchman with scruffy facial hair and strange, decorated stick lumbering along the sidewalk beside him. He rolled his eyes and walked faster; much to his distaste, the singing Frenchman followed him.

"Crazy old dude." Alfred huffed, turning a corner. When the singing man followed, he whipped around and snapped: "Would you quit following me? Who are you!?"

"Oh honhonhonhon! I will tell you! Come closer," The Frenchman leaned into his ear and whispered, "Vous etes Francias, et je ne suis pas!"

"Creepy little Frenchie! What does that even mean, anyways?" Alfred glared at the man, not really caring to know the answer.

"It means you are a Frenchman, and I am not! Oh honhonhonhon!" The blond man laughed.

"Yeah, I think you're a little confused." Alfred rolled his eyes. "Weirdo."

"Oh it is not me who is confused! You don't even know who you are!" The Frenchman exclaimed.

"Oh, and I suppose YOU know?" Alfred snorted, continuing to walk.

"Yes, of course! You're Arthur Kirkland's boy!" The Frenchman called after him.

Alfred halted and turned around. "You—you knew my father?"

"Correction, I _know _your father." The Frenchman said, leaning on his staff.

Alfred's heart sunk. "Uh, sorry to tell you this…but he died. A long time ago."

"No, no! He is alive!" The blonde exclaimed. "Come! I will show him to you!"

The Frenchman took off running down the street, laughing that weird French laugh of his. Alfred blinked once before sprinting after him. "Hey! WAIT! Hold on!"

The Frenchman ran right into the busy highway, dancing around the stopped cars effortlessly. He was headed towards the hills on the other side of the road; the ones with the big Hollywood sign on them. Alfred stumbled around the honking cars clumsily, shouting for the Frenchman to slow down.

"Aha! There!" The Frenchman pointed at a puddle at the base of one of the hills. "Come! We're almost there!"

"You're crazy!" Alfred huffed, coming to halt beside him. "I—"

"Shh! Down there!" The blonde pointed at the puddle. "Go on." He said, motioning with his staff.

Alfred swallowed hard and leaned over the puddle, expecting to see Arthur swimming in it or something. But the only thing he saw was a moonlit reflection of his face.

"That's not my father." Alfred sighed. "It's my reflection."

"No, no! Look _harder." _The Frenchman urged.

Alfred let out a long, exasperated breath and squinted at the puddle. Much to his surprise, the water began to ripple, and it morphed into an entirely different image. A man with lemony yellow hair, green eyes, thick eyebrows, and stern frown glared back at Alfred. The former prince gasped, his mouth agape.

"You see?" The Frenchman said gently. "He lives in _you." _

"Father…" Alfred whispered. Arthur's sharp gaze seemed to soften, and the image rippled, vanishing. A strong wind blew, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Alfred looked up and was met with an incredible sight; the clouds seemed to part, letting through the starry blue silhouette of a man. Arthur Kirkland, the former King of the Pride Lands.

"Alfred," Arthur's voice echoed. "You have forgotten me."

"What? No, father! Never!" Alfred cried, wincing at the cold wind that blew his hair back.

"You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me." Arthur's spirit continued. "Look inside yourself, Alfred. You are more than what you have become. You are my son, and the one true king of the Pride Rock."

"How can I go back?" Alfred wailed. "How can I face my past!?"

"Remember who you are, Alfred." Arthur's voice began to fade. "Remember me."

"No! Father, please don't leave me! Not again!" Alfred begged, running up the hill. He reached up to the clouds, tears blurring his vision.

_"__Remember…" _Arthur's voice rumbled one last time before his silhouette vanished completely.


End file.
